Bleeding Orange
by TinyDancer14
Summary: Syracuse University is known for its outstanding sports teams and nationally-recognized academics. Troy Bolton was looking for the sports, Gabriella Montez the academics. But neither expected that while looking for both, they would find each other.
1. Welcome Weekend 2010

**Hi FanFictioners! I've returned from my hiatus hahaha. This is the brand-new story I was talking about in the final chapter of "Across A Minefield." I'm still not one hundred percent sure what I'm going to do with "Without A Trace," so as of this moment, it remains on hiatus. Welcome to "Bleeding Orange!" This story will not have anything to do with actual blood, haha. It's just an expression that Syracuse students use with pride, saying that because they are a part of the Syracuse Orangemen, they "bleed orange."**

**If you are a returning reader of mine, welcome back! Good to see you again and I'm glad you've chosen this story as your next to peruse, even if you don't enjoy it. If you're new to my work, welcome! I'm TinyDancer14, real name's Britni. Nice to have you aboard! Please enjoy "Bleeding Orange" and I would really appreciate a review or two. Thanks so much!**

**I do not own High School Musical and any characters not affiliated with High School Musical are complete fiction. It would be a ridiculous- but kind of cool- coincidence if any of the occurrences mentioned in this story happened to anyone in real life. I also am not an owner, founder, faculty member, or co-chair at Syracuse University. Just one happy student who loves her school almost too much. ;)  
**

* * *

Bleeding Orange

Chapter One: Welcome Weekend 2010

…

_Where the vale of Onondaga  
Meets the eastern sky  
Proudly stands our Alma Mater  
On her hilltop high.  
Flag we love! Orange! Float for aye-  
Old Syracuse, o'er thee,  
Loyal be thy sons and daughters  
To thy memory._

_When the evening twilight deepens and the shadows fall,  
Linger long the golden sunbeams on the western wall.  
Flag we love, Orange,  
Float for aye,  
Old Syracuse o'er thee!  
Loyal be thy sons and daughters  
To thy memory_

_When the shades of life shall gather, dark the heart may be,  
Still the ray of youth and love shall linger long o'er thee'.  
Flag we love, Orange,  
Float for aye,  
Old Syracuse o'er thee!  
Loyal be thy sons and daughters  
To thy memory_

~ _**Syracuse University Alma Mater**_

…

Syracuse, New York is a highly populous city on the brink of Central New York, a bustle with 147,306 people in its central city and 732,117 residents in its metropolitan outskirts. It is the fifth largest city in the state of New York and is home to New York's annular summer celebration, the New York State Fair. Though Syracuse is known mainly for its icy cold winters and the Carousel Mall, the city is also home to one of the country's finest universities, Syracuse University.

Syracuse University is a private university that rests on top of the Onondaga hill deep in the heart of Syracuse. The campus is large and features an eclectic mix of building styles, ranging from the Romanesque style of The Hall of Languages- the very first building on campus, built in 1870- to the modern-day architecture of Ernie Davis Hall, built in 2009. Syracuse University is more commonly referred to by students as SU or 'Cuse and boasts a strong motto of, "Suos Cultores Scientia Coronat," which in English translates to, "Knowledge crowns those who seek her."

The university is broken down into thirteen schools and colleges, each widely and nationally-recognized. The university offers programs in informational studies and library science, architecture, communications, business administration, public administration, engineering, and much more. With any of the options, an incoming freshman is not to go wrong. Notable alumni of Syracuse University include Vanessa Williams, Taye Diggs, Dick Clark, Carmelo Anthony, Donovan McNabb, Bob Costas, and vice president Joe Biden.

Of course, a major part of the university is its athletics. The Syracuse Orangemen- also referred to simply as the Orange- play a vast array of sports, such as football, basketball, lacrosse, and so much more. The majority of the games are held in the Carrier Dome, the largest sports stadium on any college campus and the largest sports stadium in the Northeastern United States. Fans from all over and students dressed in all orange and blue come to cheer on the Orange with their friends, family, and lovable mascot Otto the Orange.

As expected, admission to Syracuse University is extremely competitive. For the class of 2014, there were approximately 25,000 applicants for roughly 4,000 seats in the incoming freshman class. If one manages to get in to Syracuse, this is no small feat. The nationally-ranked academics and outstanding athletics make this school desirable but ultimately impossible. This school prides itself on excellence and accepts only the best, only those who can handle the vigorous workload, only those who truly deserve to bleed orange.

In the city of Syracuse, New York, there are 879,423 people.

Attending Syracuse University are 19,638 students.

13,736 of these students are undergraduates.

Approximately 4,000 of these students are freshmen.

And yet, Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez somehow managed to find each other.

* * *

Attending Syracuse University had always been Troy Bolton's dream.

He could still remember the very first time he had ever laid eyes on a basketball court. He was five years old and his father had just been hired as the head basketball coach at North Branford High School. Troy hadn't ever really been exposed to basketball before this time, besides the fact that Jack Bolton spent nearly every night between November and April glued to ESPN. He and his best friend Chad Danforth would toss basketballs around on the playground, but it never really amounted to anything. Neither one of the overeager kindergarteners expected to fall in love with the game as deeply as they had.

On the day Jack Bolton first met with his supervisors, Troy tagged along for the ride, for his mother was in court on jury duty that entire week long. Holding hands with his father, Troy remembered approaching the high school with wide-eyed wonder. They navigated the long corridors, the walls hosting handmade signs advertising the homecoming dance and the upcoming bake sale, and ultimately came upon the gymnasium, the largest room Troy had ever seen. As Jack conversed with three other men, Troy wandered slowly towards the center of the room, lifted a small orange ball and began to bounce it against the squeaky hardwood floor. After a moment, his little legs carried him towards the closest basketball hoop. He jumped and tossed the ball towards the backboard, and even though he missed- he was, after all, five feet shorter than the hoop- the three supervisors smiled beside Jack and noted,

"Jack, your son is a natural."

From then on, basketball had been what Troy and Jack bonded over and everything they talked about. He and Chad spent their middle and high school years devoting their lives to the game, playing in tournaments all over the state of Connecticut. And when the scouts came that final game senior year, Troy Bolton knew he wanted to impress no one more than Syracuse University. Syracuse's basketball team was one of the greatest teams in the northeast and it would be his dream to join their team. And the day they accepted him as part of their team and, of course, into the Whitman School of Management, was one of the happiest moments of his life.

That morning, August twenty-fifth, Troy Bolton awakened to Nickelback and the Weather Channel. Outside, an obnoxious lawnmower was chewing away at the grass beneath his window and the unusually cheerful squirrels were scratching their way up the big oak trees. Troy opened his eyes slowly, blinking in the August sunlight as his cerulean eyes came into focus, viewing his roommate's overeager smile as he enjoyed the forecast just a bit too much. Chad Danforth had also been accepted to Syracuse to join the basketball team and the two had requested to be roommates with one another. After all, who better to share a room with than the one who knows you the best? Troy pulled his fatigued body to a sitting position and watched as Chad flicked off the television and bounced like a child on his bed, the one by the window.

"Dude," Troy's hoarse voice sounded and Chad glanced up. "You mind explaining to me what the fuck you're doing over there?"

"They're here," Chad stated excitedly, pointing towards the window. "The freshmen have arrived."

Troy pushed back the blankets and sheets on his bed and stood, crossing the room to peer out the window from the third floor. "No shit, already?"

Chad's curls bounced as he glanced back at his desk towards the digital clock. "Well, it is eleven-thirty."

"Damn, look at all of them," Troy remarked. "Did we have that much stuff?"

Shaking his head, Chad disagreed. "No. We're guys. How much shit could we possibly need?"

A moment later, Chad chuckled. "Aw, look at them. Remember when that was us?"

It was Troy's turn to laugh. "Yeah. It was four weeks ago."

It was true. Even though Chad liked to speak as though he was an upperclassman, he and Troy were freshmen as well as the thousands that were moving in that day. They had moved in at the end of July with all the rest of the Syracuse University athletes that year. They had been shipped all over the campus, to orientation activities and tours of each of the buildings. They had gotten lost twice and had felt as though they had "freshmen" stamped on their foreheads. But now, as the rest of the freshman class moved in, they could convey their superiority to others. They had a good sense of the campus, now, and could officially fade into the background without sticking out like a typical freshman.

"Anyway, I'm glad you finally got your ass up," Chad moved away from the window to throw his bed together. "We've got things to do today, Hoops."

Troy followed suite, tending to his own bed. "There's nothing going on today except orientation. And we've been to _so_ many of those lately, the last thing I want to do is go back."

"Me either, man, but," Chad wiggled his eyebrows. "It's a good opportunity to meet girls!"

Troy frowned. "Yeah… I guess so."

"Troy, man, this is what you _need_," Chad stressed. "It's the perfect way to forget about Court."

This time, Troy groaned. "Can we not talk about her, please? She's honestly the _last_ thing on my mind."

"You gotta get back out there!" Chad grinned, motioning towards the window. "Court's five hours away and now you can forget about her. _This_ is your life, now."

Troy surveyed his options, watching girls flutter about. He grinned simultaneously. "Welcome to 'Cuse, girls."

* * *

Attending Syracuse University had not been Gabriella Montez's dream.

Though calm and at times a bit timid, Gabriella had always been a strong individual. She wasn't afraid to stand up for what she believed in and she always defended herself no matter what. She was sweet and mild-mannered; though at times a bit sarcastic, all of her friends counted on her support and intelligence to get them through hard times or to simply just entertain them. Gabriella had a great group of five best friends from home, each one fitting a mould and each one having a distinct personality. And Gabriella? Well, she was easily a little bit of everything.

Growing up in Saratoga Springs, New York meant having parents who drove Lexus SUVs, a mother who owned an assortment of Kate Spade handbags and a father who was a workaholic. They lived in a cookie-cutter Victorian house just outside of the main town of Saratoga and spent their summers on the lake and at the race track, where her father bet on only the finest thoroughbreds in the state. When Gabriella was seven, she walked to Cold Stone Creamery by herself to purchase an ice cream cone. When she was ten, she took the train alone to Guilderland to visit her grandparents. And when Gabriella was fourteen, she made her first bet on a horse and won fifty dollars. Granted, it was illegal to bet underage and her father really won the money, but it was Gabriella who had chosen the horse.

This life, this perfect life of the Montez family, was all before the horrible accident.

Her childhood had been easy and enjoyable, even with the absence of brothers and sisters. She dressed dolls and stuffed animals in her old baby clothes and set them up in chairs all around the living room, her miniature chalkboard momentarily replacing the television set. There, she taught her American Girl dolls and Beanie Babies math and history and spelling, every now and then pausing for recess and reconvening to speak English and science again. It was no secret that Gabriella had always been a natural at explaining things and had always been wonderful with children, and it came as no surprise to Robert and Maria Montez when their daughter expressed, at the tender age of six, that she wanted to become a teacher.

At seventeen, Gabriella had a stunning I.Q. and a knack for teaching when she applied to colleges all around the state. Among her choices included Brown, Princeton, Skidmore College, Syracuse University, and many others. Skidmore had been her safety net, as the school was only a ten minute walk from her house. Princeton had been a reach school and she wasn't surprised nor deterred when she was rejected. As for Brown, she had been accepted, but when she visited she found the atmosphere to be very… blah. She wanted fun, she wanted excitement, and she knew she could get that from Syracuse University.

But before she heard back from Syracuse, disaster struck.

After the accident, Maria and Gabriella Montez hadn't felt much like doing anything. The rest of Gabriella's senior year flew by, she turned eighteen with a celebration-less party, and sooner or later the May 1st decision deadline loomed in her presence. Gabriella was fully ready to commit to Skidmore to stay close to her mother in their time of mourning, but Maria insisted she visit Syracuse University before she made her final decision, as they had accepted her with open arms as well. Gabriella did research on the university's nationally-ranked education program and decided it was worth it. She hadn't expected to be blown away by the campus.

And at first, she wasn't.

The moment Maria Montez pulled off the thruway onto the Syracuse exit, Gabriella told her mother to turn around. The ghettos of Syracuse were anything but welcoming and the bars and gates on each of the windows and doors of the houses were hardly reassuring. But the moment they left the ghettos and ascended University Hill, Gabriella fell in love. And as Chancellor Nancy Cantor welcomed her with open arms and the student ambassadors guided her along campus, she fell in love again. There was so much pride here, so much love and happiness that Gabriella just needed to be a part of. There was an overwhelming sense of something that she couldn't place a finger on, until she felt that same feeling three months later, during Welcome Weekend and move-in.

It was the feeling of coming home.

Still, she tried to downplay her feelings as Maria Montez asked her what she thought. Gabriella told her she was absolutely infatuated, but promised to continue on her path to Skidmore, just so she could be reassured that her daughter was always there if Maria needed her. But Maria could sense the longing in Gabriella's eyes and laughed, telling her that whatever she decided was her decision and shouldn't be made based on her father's demise. That was all it took. Gabriella accepted their offer of admission and never looked back.

Now, on August twenty-fifth, Gabriella faced separation from her mother as well. Though she knew this separation wasn't permanent, she had already had to say goodbye to one parent; the last thing she wanted to do was say goodbye to her other. But there they were, seated upon Gabriella's freshly made bed in room 103 of Booth Hall, awaiting the inevitable. Gabriella was officially moved in and it was time for her mother to leave, to make the two-and-a-half hour journey back home, to leave her daughter to grow up and live on her own.

"I packed you some plastic utensils and paper plates," Maria said quietly. "You know… In case you get sick of dining hall food and want to cook something."

"Thanks Mom," Gabriella smiled half-heartedly. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

Maria shook her head, sadly. "Of course I'm not sure. It wasn't supposed to be this way, Gabby. He was supposed to be here doing this with me. But… That's the way life goes, I guess. Accidents happen and… People die."

"Mom," Gabriella cried, tears rolling down her cheeks as Maria pulled her daughter in for a hug. "I'm going to miss you."

"Oh honey, I'm going to miss you too. So, _so_ much," Maria soothed. "But the best part about you leaving me is that _you_ get to come back."

Gabriella pulled away from her mother and wiped at her tears. "Yeah. I know."

"I'll be back in a few weeks for parent's weekend, anyway," Maria stood, embracing her daughter one last time. "I love you, sweetheart. And I want you to call me every single day. Tell me everything."

"I will," She promised. "I love you too, Mom."

She watched her mother kiss her forehead and depart from the room, out of sight and out of mind. Sighing and composing herself, Gabriella began arranging items the way she wanted them in her bedroom and wondered when her roommate would show up. She had already introduced herself to Jenna and Hannah, the girls living across the hall and to Scott and Sam, the guys living next door. Her resident advisor was a sophomore and seemed really down-to-earth and easy-going, so Gabriella instantly liked her. But, as far as roommates went, she knew nothing about her except her name- which, interestingly enough, was also a breed of dog. Coincidence?

"You can just put it right over there."

Gabriella's eyes snapped up at the voice and came to meet the light russet oculars of a tall blonde. The girl was texting; her long, French-manicured fingers tapping away at the keys palpably as she marched her baby pink stilettos across the threshold of the room and stood beside her designated desk. Her blonde curls rested daintily upon her shoulders as the rest cascaded down the ridges of her spine. Her pink leather miniskirt matched the stilettos perfectly and the pink bedazzling on her short-sleeved shirt glistened as she moved. In a word, the girl was beautiful, but Gabriella could already sense a certain air of… royalty. The way this girl stood and watched the Goon Squad- a team of upperclassmen who help freshmen move in- carry in her boxes and pink rhinestone encrusted luggage made Gabriella feel like she was too fragile to do it herself.

"Thanks a bunch. Tootles!" The blonde flashed a smile and waved once all of her luggage had been unloaded. Whirling around, her wandering eyes met Gabriella's. "What are you staring at?"

"N-Nothing," Gabriella quickly snapped back to reality as she began to empty a fresh box of pens and sort them on her desk. "I just… Hi. I'm Gabriella Montez. Guess we're going to be roommates, huh?"

"So it would seem," The blonde eyed her, thinking oddly of her roommate already. "I'm Sharpay Evans. Don't say anything about how my name is the same one as the fucking dog, because I don't want to hear it again. It's unique and I like it."

"I like it too," Gabriella lied, faking a smile. "Plus it's not even spelled the same way, so…"

"Whatever," Sharpay turned her back and popped open suitcase number one, beginning to hang shirts, skirts, and jeans in the spacious closet. "So who said you could have the bed by the window, anyway?"

"No one _said_ I could have it," Gabriella informed her, hopping on top of it then. "I just figured… I don't know, I was here first so I got to choose."

Sharpay didn't even look at her as she responded, slipping a lacy pink camisole onto a hot pink hanger. "Well, I guess you're lucky that I'm too afraid the creeps from the park across the street are going to break in and rape me to argue with you over claiming it."

Gabriella cracked a smile. "I guess I am. That's a _lot_ of pink you have there."

Sharpay shrugged. "I like pink. It's my favorite color. What's it to you?"

"Nothing, jeez," Gabriella mumbled, turning back to her task at hand. "So where are you from?"

"Santa Monica," Sharpay answered, moving on to suitcase number two as Gabriella gaped at her.

"California?"

"No, Alaska," Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Yes California! Where else?"

"I was just curious! It seems like a long way to go just to go to school," Gabriella commented and the blonde frowned.

"Well I _wanted_ to go to Julliard which is even further than this," She explained. "But I didn't get in. Worst part? My stupid brother did."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Gabriella sympathized. "Is your brother older?"

"Only by six minutes," Sharpay stated and to her roommate's look of confusion, elaborated, "We're twins."

"Oh, that's really cool," Gabriella grinned and Sharpay laughed.

"Yeah, not really," She cringed. "My parents were so corny about it, always dressing us in matching colors and outfits. Ugh, made me want to _die_."

Gabriella bit her lip, wondering. "Is your brother's-?"

"No, my brother has a normal name. He gets to be Ryan, a common, usual name, and I get to be Sharpay, the ugly, depressed, and wrinkly dog. Fair? I think not."

Gabriella chuckled. "Oh… I'm sorry."

"It's not funny," She warned, but there was a smile on her face that told Gabriella she found some sort of humor in this situation too. "So now that I've basically told you my life's story, where are you from?"

"Saratoga Springs," Gabriella answered without hesitation. "But no brothers or sisters for me, so no good stories, really."

"Boring," Sharpay commented. "What's your major?"

"Early Childhood Education," Gabriella shared, picking at her bedspread. "You?"

"I'm a double VPA major. Acting and Musical Theater," She smiled, satisfied. "I'm going to be a star. Just wait."

"I don't doubt it," Gabriella encouraged. "So we have a floor meeting in about an hour and then we have to go to this stupid thing called "Everyday Heroes.""

Sharpay scrunched her nose in distaste. "What's that?"

"Some assembly where we learn about not being a "bystander" and to help people who are in trouble," Gabriella stated. "How ridiculous. I'm obviously not going to just walk away if someone's getting beaten."

"Sounds fucking stupid," Sharpay frowned. "Is that all we have to do tonight?"

"Nah, after "Everyday Heroes" is "Home to the Dome." I guess it it's like this huge pep rally," Gabriella read from her Syracuse Welcome booklet. "Sounds fun, actually."

"Okay, sweet deal," Sharpay said, tucking her suitcases beneath her bed. "I'm done. How long do we have, again?"

"An hour," Gabriella confirmed, checking her newly-installed digital clock. "What do you want to do?"

Sharpay grinned slyly. "Let's go explore!"

* * *

"_Hey! Hey you! You know what to do! You've got to roll with the orange and jam with the blue!_"

"This is crazy!" Troy shouted to his best friend over the screaming, cheering, and stomping happening in the stadium. This was none other than Home to the Dome, and Chad nodded his agreement and screamed louder.

"_Yeah! Let's go, Orange!_"

"I cannot believe that classes start Monday," Chad grumbled as the night came to a close with the Syracuse Alma Mater. "I have an eight a.m. economics class."

"Ha, that sucks," Troy teased. "My earliest class is ten o'clock. Suck that."

"Whatever," Chad rolled his eyes. "So? See any girls you think are hot yet? Or are you still thinking about-"

"I'm _not_ still thinking about Court," Troy insisted and to Chad's disbelieving look, he persisted, "I'm not! Damn, give me more than a day, please."

"Troy we've been here for thirty," Chad reminded. "I've got my eye on that little hottie right over there."

Troy followed Chad's line of vision to a dark-skinned, raven-haired girl who was standing by the Carrier Dome box office as they headed out of the Dome. She was carrying herself with such poise and was speaking animatedly to a short, meek girl with auburn straight hair and glasses, clearly beyond intimidated to be speaking to someone of this caliber. Troy had been with Chad pretty much all summer and had never seen this girl before. Turning to his best friend for an explanation, Chad could already see skepticism in his eyes.

"Her name's Taylor. She was here all summer for that Summer Start program, you know? We were in the same tour group, once," Chad explained. "Stop looking at me like I'm fucking retarded!"

Troy chuckled. "I'm not! I'm just shocked… You work fast, man."

"Hey, I've just got my priorities straight," Chad held up his hands in defense. "Basketball and girls; that's all I'm here for."

"Wow, so schoolwork had nothing to do with this?" Troy asked sarcastically and Chad looked at him as if he'd never heard the word before. "Gee, and here I thought this was about getting a higher education…"

Before Chad could retort with a witty response, the two stepped out of the Carrier Dome and into the chilly Syracuse air. Chad made a clean escape, but Troy walked directly into a petite brunette who was standing directly in front of the door and nearly knocked her to the ground. She stumbled a little, almost tripping on her ballet flats before steadying herself with the help of the blonde she was standing beside. Troy caught her eye the moment she righted herself and immediately was taken aback. He was struck by the most intensely beautiful brown eyes he had ever seen as the girl flushed crimson.

"I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" Troy asked, his eyes searching her body for any kind of harm. "I didn't mean to run you over, there."

"No, no, it's my fault, sorry," She apologized quickly. "I shouldn't have been standing in front of the door. I'm fine, really."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, completely," She flashed him a smile before turning away, only to turn back. "Actually, do you by chance happen to know which way Booth Hall is? My roommate and I are kind of… lost."

"Yeah definitely," Troy advised, lifting a finger to the right. "Just follow the Dome to the right and you'll be in the Quad. If you leave the Quad from the lower right corner, you'll be across the street from the library. Just head up that street, cross behind Ernie Davis, and you'll end up right in front of it."

"Thanks so much," She stated gratefully, lingering a bit longer than expected.

Troy nodded, a delighted grin spreading on his face. "You're welcome. I'll see you around?"

"Yeah," The brunette nodded, smiling. "Thanks again."

She and her blonde friend headed off in the direction that Troy dictated and Chad grinned. "That's what I'm talking about, Hoops! It was a good start, anyway. You know you'll never see her again, right?"

Troy began walking in the opposite direction that he had informed the girl to go in, as their dorms were on the opposite sides of campus. He sighed. "Yeah. Probably not."

But as Troy looked back to catch a final glimpse of the mysterious girl, he found she was grinning wildly and looking back towards him, too.


	2. The Hall of Languages

**Good afternoon! Can I just take the time to get down on my hands and knees and bow to each and everyone of you who reviewed? As ridiculous as this may seem, you have no idea how grateful I am to all of you for the kind words you sent me. I never expected so many reviews for just one chapter, so thank you, each and every one of you! When I a get a chance to reply to each of you, I will. :)**

**So each chapter will named after a building on the Syracuse campus and this one comes from my favorite building, the Hall of Languages. Honestly, this is the most beautiful building I've ever seen, inside and out. And, as you're laughing at Gabriella's scheduling mishaps, think of me, because I wrote her experience from my own. ;) I don't own the campus nor am I a part of the University staff and any fictional character that happens to mirror a real one is coincidental. I also do not own High School Musical, its characters, or the fabulous song by Michael Bublé that I'm using in this chapter.**

**Thanks so much for reviewing and please enjoy!  
**

* * *

Bleeding Orange

Chapter Two: The Hall of Languages

…

"_I might have to wait, I'll never give up  
I guess it's half timing and the other half's luck  
Wherever you are, whenever it's right,  
You'll come out of nowhere and into my life_."

~ _"_**_Haven't Met You Yet_**_," Michael Bublé_

…

The night before their final day of summer vacation and orientation activities, Gabriella Montez reviewed her schedule of classes and realized they had signed her up for two different lab classes.

At nine o'clock on that sunny Sunday morning, Gabriella reluctantly pulled herself out of bed and dressed in a simple blue-and-white sundress, strapping on white espadrilles and a silver ankle bracelet. She glanced over at Sharpay, whose eyes were closed beneath the pink-on-pink down comforter, but she continued to toss and turn right and left as if she were wide awake. Gathering her SU student I.D., her room key, and a few other items in a purse, Gabriella prepared to head out into the morning sun.

Switching the padlock to the open position and yanking open the door, Gabriella heard movement and an incoherent sentence slip from Sharpay's unconscious form. "Sharpay? You awake?"

"Mmm."

"Hey, I'm just going to go get my schedule fixed," The brunette explained, her speech interrupted by a small yawn. "I have a meeting with my Student Peer Advisor at nine-thirty."

"Uh huh…" The blonde responded, tucking herself deeper into the warm cavern of sheets and blankets.

"I don't know why, but they signed me up for two different lab courses," Gabriella looked over her schedule. "Weird, huh?"

A yawn. "Okay…"

"Anyway, I don't know how long I'm going to be," Gabriella contemplated slowly. "But do you want to grab lunch later, when I get back? We could-"

"Whatever, whatever," Sharpay groaned, pulling pillows and blankets over her head. "Just shut the fuck up!"

Gabriella's eyes widened, mumbling as she left the room, "Jeez, you are _not_ a morning person."

She greeted the senior named Alison who worked at the front desk of the lobby before exiting Booth Hall and heading out into the mid-morning sun. Because of Orange Blast- the party and wrap-up of all the orientation activities on campus- had ended at nearly two a.m. the previous night, no one, as expected on a college campus, was awake that early in the morning. Gabriella smiled contentedly, her eyes closing in bliss as the warm sun filled her pores and seemed to run smoothly through her veins, allowing her to soak in the beautiful morning.

Wielding her map diligently, Gabriella arrived at Huntington Beard Crouse Hall, where she was to meet her Student Peer Advisor in the Gifford Auditorium. She pulled open the door and glanced briefly at the room assignments on the wall before descending a set of stairs and sliding graciously into a seat in the auditorium. A young, perky blonde approached her, grinning excitedly in her "SPA" t-shirt, the bright orange signifying that she was in the right place. Her blue eyes sparkled as she extended her hand in greeting, Gabriella accepting warily.

"Hi! My name's Alicia Bennett," She introduced herself. "Welcome to Syracuse!"

"Thanks," Gabriella smiled warmly. "I'm Gabriella Montez."

"Oh perfect!" Alicia giggled. "You're with me! Okay, we're meeting with your faculty advisor in about fifteen minutes, but do you have any questions that I can help you with before we do?"

"Yeah, actually I do." Gabriella stated, presenting the schedule to Alicia. "I'm taking Astronomy 101 and they signed me up for two different lab classes. Do you know which one I'm supposed to go to?"

Alicia glanced at the schedule and frowned. "That's so weird… I have no idea."

Gabriella's disappointment matched Alicia's. And, twenty minutes later when she showed her faculty advisor the same problem, she also did not know what to do about it. "That is the strangest thing I've ever seen. I don't think I can fix this."

The brunette's apprehension grew. "So what do I do?"

"I would suggest going to the schedule counseling center in 329 Hall of Languages," She said slowly. "Do you know where that is?"

Gabriella pointed behind her. "That huge stone building?"

Her advisor chuckled. "That's the one! Good luck!"

Alicia shrugged. "Sorry we couldn't help you."

Sighing, Gabriella didn't respond, but instead headed across the street towards the main building on campus. Barely taking a moment to steal a long glance at the brilliant architecture, Gabriella yanked open the large green doors and headed inside. Deciding against the elevator- the more the exercise, the fewer the chances of gaining the Freshman 15!- she searched the long corridors on the third floor before coming into a large group of people, all standing in line and waiting around for something that seemed would never come. She pushed past them, glancing at them trivially and wondering what they were waiting for.

At the front of the line was a door to an office, the room number reading 329.

Oh, great.

Gabriella approached the front desk and flashed a smile. The secretary just blinked at her. "Hi, my name's Gabriella Montez and I have a schedule conflict. I'm taking Astronomy 101, which is a lab course, but they signed me up for two different lab classes. It says I'm in lab from 9:30 to 10:50 on Mondays, but it also says I'm in lab from 10:30 to 11:50 on Thursdays. I know I'm not supposed to be in two different labs, so how do I get that fixed?"

If her long explanation had any kind of effect on the secretary, she didn't show it. Lifting a bony finger, she pointed towards the computer at the side and said, monotonous, "Sign in on the computer over there and have a seat. A counselor will be with you eventually."

Eventually.

Not _soon_. _Eventually_.

"O-okay," Gabriella stated awkwardly, side-stepping towards the computer and entering in her information. She turned, her eyes scanning for an empty seat and she grinned when a bushy-haired African American boy moved his backpack so she could sit down. "Thanks."

"No problem," He smiled. "Don't you just love Miss Ray of Sunshine over there?"

"Oh my God, she has _no_ personality!" Gabriella agreed. "I literally just spewed my life out to her and she had nothing to say!"

"I know," He chuckled. "Even though it's really busy, she could at least be _nice_."

"Exactly," Gabriella giggled. "Maybe she'll learn… _eventually_."

The two laughed with each other, Gabriella's chest vibrating with laughter and the boy's bushy hair bouncing. "I'm Chad Danforth, by the way."

"Gabriella Montez," She offered with a smile. "Nice to meet you."

"You too," Chad nodded. "You a freshman?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Uh huh," Chad chuckled, nodding. "Where are you living? What's your major?"

"What's with the third degree?" She teased. "I live in Booth and I'm majoring in Early Childhood Education. What about you?"

"Hey, I'm just curious!" He defended as she giggled again. "I live in the athletic dorms on South Campus. My roommate and I play basketball. I'm majoring in Economics, which is less than thrilling, but the only real thing I'm good at."

"I doubt it," Gabriella stated. "But basketball? Really? Are you starting?"

Chad looked surprised. "You watch sports?"

"Not really," Gabriella shrugged. "I'm from Saratoga- we race horses. But my best friend dated a basketball player last year. She dragged me to _all_ of his games."

"Well, I don't think you can hate sports here," Chad chuckled. "You might be shunned. I don't know if you noticed, but athletics are _kinda_ a big deal here."

"Ha ha," Gabriella rolled her eyes. "So anyway, are you excited for classes to start tomorrow?"

"Hell no," Chad frowned. "They should definitely take away all classes so that college is just the fun stuff."

Gabriella grinned. "Oh. You're one of _those_ guys."

"Hey, I just know how to have fun," Chad defended. "What are you taking this semester?"

"Um, Psych 205, Astronomy 101, English 107, Spanish 201, and freshman forum," Gabriella read directly from her schedule. "What about you? You're probably taking different classes because you're in a different school."

"Nah, they're all Gen Eds," He stated, glancing at his schedule. "I've got Macro and Microeconomics, Anthropology 111, History 101, and freshman forum. Boring-ass schedule, if you ask me."

"Yeah, that does sound pretty brutal," Gabriella bit her lip. "But you'll live."

"Yeah," He sighed and glanced up when a counselor called his name. "Ah, that's me. You want to exchange numbers? We can hang out sometime."

"Yeah!" Gabriella retrieved her phone and the two traded, typing in their contact information furiously. "You'll have to meet my roommate. She's a piece of work."

Chad laughed, handing back her phone as he received his. "You'll have to meet mine, too. He's… a basket case."

Gabriella grinned. "Sounds like a plan."

Chad nodded in agreement. "A plan, indeed."

* * *

"_Bonjour, mes amies! Bienvenue a Syracuse et la classe de Fran__çaise 201_. _J'espère que toute le monde va bien_…"

Sharpay Evans decided that a nine-thirty a.m. French class should not be legal.

She stared hard at the loopy writing on the glossy cover of her brand-new textbook and willed herself to stay awake. This wasn't what college was supposed to be like, was it? Weren't you supposed to party all the time, pull all-nighters and not have to worry about going to class until noon? Right now, the last thing she wanted to think about was working on the subjunctive clause and conjugating verbs. Right now, she wanted to be back in her bed, catching up on the precious sleep she was already deprived of.

The door jiggled and then burst open and a tall boy with sandy-brown hair entered the room, shooting a thousand "_Je suis __désolé_"s at the professor, who nodding understandingly. The boy was around Sharpay's age, she could tell, which was also cemented by the fact that he had gotten lost on the first day of school. Spotting the empty seat beside Sharpay, the boy ducked his head in embarrassment and slid into the desk, already pulling out his textbook and materials to follow along with the lecture. Sharpay heard the boy swear furiously and then, his deep cerulean eyes were glancing at her.

"Do you have a pen or a pencil I could borrow?"

Sharpay's eyes narrowed. "Tardy and unprepared? Wow, way to start college off on the right foot."

He glared at her, already put off by her sarcastic nature and poor attitude. "Screw you. I'll get it from someone else."

But Sharpay handed him a spare pen just as the professor muttered a French curse word. "_J'ai oublié mon classeur. Discutez entre vous pendant que je vais la saisir_."

The moment the professor left the room, the classroom buzzed with conversation. The boy fingered the pen and turned back to Sharpay, a look of disbelief on his face. "Do you have anything less… pink?"

"No," Sharpay shook her head shortly. "It's pink fluffy pen or pink glittery pencil. Take your pick."

The boy laughed, trading in the pen for the pencil as he shook his head. "The pencil seems to be the lesser of two evils. What's your problem? What did I ever do to you?"

"You took interest in my roommate instead of me," Sharpay decided, and then decided to elaborate at the look of bewilderment on his face. "Oh come on, don't tell me that wasn't what you were thinking. You were staring at her with this "I think I just fell in love" look on your face. You guys made a two-second exchange a five-minute conversation, and even when she got what she wanted to know from you, you _still_ kept talking! And then-"

"Hold on," The boy interrupted. "I don't even _know_ you!"

"You think I'm falling for that shit?" She asked and rolled her eyes when the look of surprise failed to slide off his face. "Boy who helped me and my roommate find Booth Hall, Sharpay Evans. Sharpay Evans, boy who helped me and my roommate find Booth Hall."

He exhaled slowly. "My name's Troy Bolton."

"Right," Sharpay stated. "Anyway-"

"Did I really help you? When was that?"

"After Home to the Dome, remember?" She asked in a 'duh' tone. "You walked into her, apologized like an idiot, she said it was her fault…"

Troy's eyes widened. "That was _you?_"

"No! That was my _roommate_," Sharpay sighed. "Pay attention, Bolton."

"I know who you're talking about," He snapped. "Wow. And here I thought I'd never see her again!"

"Technically, you haven't. Technically, you've only seen me." Sharpay pointed out, shaking her head. "Anyway, it's irrelevant. She's off-limits."

"Why?"

"Because I said so!"

"You're not her keeper," Troy frowned. "I'll talk to her if I want to talk to her."

"Talk, fuck, what's the difference?" Sharpay scowled. "We both know you want one thing and one thing only."

Troy disagreed. "No I don't! God, I don't like you."

This time, Sharpay smiled. "I got the sense you thought that. That's fine by me. You know what the best part is, Bolton? You want to meet this girl, I can see that. You can't stop thinking about her, I can _feel_ that. But you don't even know her name."

Sharpay grinned triumphantly as Troy was about to respond, most likely with inquiry, but their professor arrived again, apologizing profusely and jumping right back into lecture.

And as Troy conjugated verb after verb, he realized Sharpay was right.

* * *

The moment Professor Brown opened his mouth, Gabriella Montez felt herself fall deep under his British charm.

"Good afternoon! Welcome to Astronomy 101, everybody!"

"Holy shit," The African American girl sitting beside her swore, her eyes widening as their professor continued to speak in an accented drawl. "No one told me he was British!"

Gabriella giggled her agreement. "Me either. I am _so_ obsessed with British accents. It could be deemed unhealthy."

The girl chuckled. "Me too! Hey, I'm Taylor McKessie. Freshman."

Gabriella nodded. "Me too. Gabriella Montez. Nice to meet you."

"You too," She grinned. "So, did you take this class willingly, or did you get stuck in it because Biology 121 was full?"

The brunette's eyes widened. "That happened to you too?"

Taylor laughed. "Apparently Bio is a really popular class. This was my second choice, but I never thought I'd actually have to take it."

"Me either," Gabriella agreed. "I couldn't care any less about stars and galaxies."

"Ugh, I hear you," Taylor rolled her eyes. "But the fact that he's British truly is rectifying this situation."

"Exactly," Gabriella smiled. "Where are you from?"

"Reading, Pennsylvania," Taylor answered. "Yeah, it's like four, five-ish hours away. Guess who's never going home?"

Gabriella sympathized. "That sucks. I'm from Saratoga Springs. It's only about two and a half hours away. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have that reassurance that I could go home anytime I wanted."

"Yeah, I don't know. It's not so bad yet. I think it's harder on my parents than me," Taylor explicated. "My older sister started college last year, so I'm the last one to leave the nest, so to speak. They were really upset when Tara moved out, but now I'm gone too, so… I guess it's just harder now than before. They don't have anyone left."

Gabriella's eyes widened. This was how she felt about _her_ mother. "I totally understand, Taylor."

Taylor shrugged. "Well, they knew this day was coming, right? They'll have to move on, I guess. It's not like I'm gone forever, you know?"

Gabriella knew.

She knew _exactly_.

The two easily shared more information- their majors, their roommate's name and certain personality traits, their plans for the weekend- before realizing they had simply become fast friends. Gabriella grinned as they helped each other on the certain activities in the lecture tutorial workbook and tried to recall what Professor Brown had dictated, seeing as they had honestly conversed the entire length of the lecture. They laughed and compared schedules, told tales of their hometowns, and swapped cell phone numbers. Gabriella found herself much more social, now, in college than she had ever been.

As important as the bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree was- that was, after all, why one pursued a higher education- all that really mattered at the end of the day was whether you were happy where you were. College wasn't just about getting that framed piece of paper- it was about finding who you were, discovering yourself in the vast realm of possibilities and making new friends. Learning more about yourself than you ever knew and finding you really can make it on your own. As the old saying goes, falling is the first step in learning how to fly. If you were brave enough to pluck off your wings and take a giant leap of faith, you just might be surprised at the outcome. At the end of the day, no matter what your degree is in- be it law, medicine, or art history- all that mattered was whether or not you were happy. Because if you don't have happiness, then you really don't have anything at all.

Gabriella wasn't happy.

She was _ecstatic_.


	3. Carrier Dome

**Good morning, FanFictioners! It's a lovely sunny Monday morning here in Syracuse, which, most of you may not know, is really rare around here after the end of September. =P I hope you all had a fabulous weekend and are ready for another week ahead of you. I had the most amazing weekend of my life. A friend of mine and I went to visit our mutual friend who goes to NYU and while we were there, we saw Joel McHale's comedy show in Carnegie Hall. After a little stalking, we found the stage door, waited outside after the show, and met him! We met Donald Glover, who plays Troy from "Community" also! It was amazing!**

**I hope you're enjoying "Bleeding Orange" so far. Thank you for all the reviews and please keep them coming! I only own the storyline; everything else, including the characters, the school, and the song are all owned by many other people not including myself. Thanks guys!  
**

* * *

Bleeding Orange

Chapter Three: Carrier Dome

…

_Down, down the field goes  
Old Syracuse,  
Just see those backs hit the line  
and go thro'  
Down, down the field they go  
marching, Fighting for the Orange  
staunch and true.  
Rah! Rah! Rah!  
Vict'ry's in sight for old Syracuse,  
Each loyal son knows she  
ne'er more will lose,  
For We'll fight, yes. we'll fight,  
and with all our might  
For the glory of Syracuse!_

~_**Syracuse University Fight Song**_

…

"Everywhere we go-o!"

"Everywhere we go-o!"

"People wanna kno-ow!"

"People wanna kno-ow!"

"Who we a-are!"

"Who we a-are!"

"So, we tell them!"

"So, we tell them!"

"We are the Orangemen!"

"We are the Orangemen!"

"The mighty, mighty Orangemen!"

"The mighty, mighty Orangemen!"

"And if they can't hear us!"

"And if they can't hear us!"

"We'll sing a little louder!"

"We'll sing a little louder!"

Gabriella grinned. "EVERYWHERE WE GO-O!"

"No, we're done with that," Sharpay scowled. "You don't _actually_ have to sing louder."

"Yeah you do. It's in the lyrics," Gabriella pointed out, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well it was cute the first time, but it's definitely time for that to end," Sharpay decided and Gabriella just rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, traitor. You have _no_ school spirit."

Everyone on University Hill had been so caught up in the innumerable orientation and back-to-school activities that soon, it was time for the first home football game of the season. That mid-September evening, the Syracuse Orangemen were to battle the Maine Black Bears for victory and mostly everyone was excited to watch. Gabriella had asked their entire floor whether they were headed to the Dome that evening to watch the football game or not, and everyone had all but laughed in their face. "Syracuse football is a joke," they had all exclaimed. "We suck. Call me when basketball season starts." But, regardless, Gabriella had insane school spirit and had bought the student-discounted season tickets to all football and basketball games and strongly advised her new best-friend Taylor McKessie and roommate Sharpay Evans to do the same.

At the moment, they were dressing in their orange attire, their "Otto's Army" t-shirts ready for full use and a string of orange and blue Mardi Gras beads hung from both their necks. Gabriella was finger painting a stripe of orange beneath her right eye, wiping her finger clean, and then dipping it into the blue. Sharpay watched her roommate with a strong look of distaste- there was no _way_ she was applying "war paint" to her perfect complexion! But as Gabriella finished her right eye and began on her left, Sharpay decided to address the previous accusation.

"I _do_ have school spirit," Sharpay stated adamantly and when Gabriella scoffed, she insisted. "I do! Do you think I would ever even _consider_ going to a sports game in high school? And not only that, I'm actually wearing this God-awful color!"

She motioned towards the orange t-shirt and Gabriella chuckled. "I'm surprised you even came to this school, knowing one of the colors was orange."

"It really is a big adjustment for me," She stated seriously and Gabriella laughed out loud. Finally, she finished applying her orange-and-blue war paint and turned towards Sharpay, whose eye's immediately widened. "No!"

"Sharpay, come on," Gabriella dipped her finger in the paint and held it towards the blonde, tauntingly. "It's not going to kill you."

"No, worse," Sharpay instinctively backed into the corner when Gabriella stepped closer to her. "It'll clog my pores and I'll break out!"

"No it's won't. Just put it on."

"No."

"Put it on!"

"No!"

"Sharpay!"

"Fine!" "Sharpay groaned, snatching the tubes of face paint from her friend and stepping up to the mirror. "You're so fucking annoying, you know that?"

"I've been told," Gabriella grinned triumphantly. "Anyway, we're meeting Taylor and Kelsi at Gate D. I'm pretty sure that's where students enter."

Sharpay let out a half-groan. "Why did you have to invite the mousy short girl?"

"Sharpay, I didn't _invite_ her, she's Taylor's roommate. She's obviously going to come," Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Besides, I don't see what your problem is with her anyway. She's a nice girl. A little quiet, but she's nice."

"I don't like her," Sharpay stated simply.

Gabriella bit her lip. "I'm sure the feeling's mutual."

Sharpay sent a mock glare towards her roommate and began swiping dark blue lines beneath the bright orange ones. "Psh, yeah right. Who could hate me? I'm nice, helpful, extremely good-looking…"

"And incredibly modest," Gabriella shook her head, pushing off her bed to answer the knock resounding against their door. When the hallway was visible, their resident advisor, a redheaded sophomore named Tara, appeared. "Oh, hey Tara, what's going on?"

"Hi guys! I just wanted to let you know there's free food downstairs. They're barbequing outside but most of the food is in the lounge." She took notice of the girls' war paint and grinned. "You guys going to the game?"

Gabriella chuckled. "Yeah. We'll probably eat something there."

"Are you kidding, Gabriella?" Sharpay shrieked, stepping into view. "Why would we go there and pay ridiculous Dome prices when we can get the same food for free right here?"

Gabriella stared at her roommate as if she hadn't ever made sense until now. Tara's laughter broke into the staring contest between the two. "She has a point!"

"Yeah," Gabriella, still a bit shocked, agreed. "She does."

* * *

Moments later, Chad and Troy found themselves wandering the "Family Fun Zone," the carnival-based pre-party the University held for students and families to have fun in before the game. There were multiple free items, including t-shirts, pom poms, Mardi Gras beads, and other game-like activities and accessories. In the middle of the Quad, there was a bouncy house and a huge tent set up for the returning alumni, most likely with real food being served, not the barbequed items they were serving the students and families of students. But hey, what's a football game without some greasy concessions to go with it?

Troy and Chad had just stepped out of line, their purchases- hamburgers and French fries- in hand as they tried to find a suitable place to eat. There weren't any tables and chairs around for them to sit at, so once they loaded up on condiments and, to be cautious, napkins, they strolled a safe distance away and ate the dinners rather silently, pensively. Troy was thinking about the game, about Syracuse athletics in general, about how apprehensive he was to join in play this November, and once again thanking his lucky stars that he had gotten in.

Chad, of course, was thinking about girls.

"Check out the rack on that chick," Chad nodded off towards the entrance to the Dome. "I'd jump her in a _second_."

Troy rolled his eyes. "I'm sure you would. Is there ever a time when you're not talking about sex?"

"Did you not hear why I came here?" Chad asked in the most serious voice he could muster. "Basketball and girls!"

"Yeah, that sounds like you," Troy chuckled as they began walking towards the Carrier Dome that was just waiting for them to enter.

"You bet your ass!" Chad laughed. "It's the perfect situation because you know I want to date an intelligent girl. Well, Syracuse isn't an easy school to get into; thus, they're _all_ intelligent! You know what I'm saying, man?"

"What happens when the girl you want to date says _she_ wants someone intelligent?" Troy asked, grinning and Chad frowned.

"Wow, Bolton, way to insult my knowledge. I'll have you know I did not get in here on three-point shots and layups alone."

"Yeah, yeah," Troy responded distantly. "Whatever you say."

"But it's a good thing I am here, you know?" Chad rambled on. "Because who better to help you get your mind off of Court than me? I can make sure your wandering mind stays on the court and _off_ of Court."

"Would give it a rest with Court already?" Troy sighed. "I am over her! O-V-E-R! Look, that girl's pretty, don't you think?"

Chad followed Troy's line of vision and shook his head. "She's too blonde. Court was blonde."

"Okay, fine. What about her?" Troy whirled around and pointed back over at the food line. "She's a redhead. They're wild and fun. Don't I need that?"

Chad shook his head again. "She's a chain smoker! Look at the way she's attacking that cigarette carton… Pity. She'll be dead before her thirtieth birthday."

Becoming frustrated, Troy searched the crowd for another girl. "Well what about-"

"Hey! What game are we playin'? You tryin' to figure out if he's sober? Because I think he is."

The two boys turned to find themselves face to face with Zeke Baylor. Zeke was a freshman that Troy had met in his introductory biology class and the two had talked and become fast friends. Zeke was shy, sweet, and sensitive, things that Chad Danforth was not, and Troy found that he was much easier to talk to than his best friend of fifteen years. Zeke was from Greenville, South Carolina and had a touch of a southern accent that girls just fawned over. The guys had made plans to meet up before the game so they could sit and cheer on the Orange together.

"Hey Zeke!" Troy greeted warmly. "What's going on?"

"Not too much," He smiled. "Excited for this game. Although I doubt it's going to be as exciting as the games back home. I hear Syracuse has a shitty football team."

"That they do," Chad agreed. "But who knows? Maine has a shitty team too. Maybe we'll win?"

"Maybe we will," Troy concluded. "Let's go inside."

The moment they stepped inside the Carrier Dome, it was like being inside a different world. Fans and alumni alike ran amok through the hallways, buying sausage heroes, hot dogs, foam fingers, and various Orange paraphernalia. Men in Carrier Dome staff garb yelled out phrases to catch the passersby's eyes, such as "Cold beer! Get your cold beer here!" and "Free t-shirts, SU students! Free t-shirts!" Chad mentioned something about free being his favorite price and took three, one for each of them. But Troy? Troy was still in a daze.

"Student section, Gate B!" They heard someone yell and Chad took the lead and began ascending the stairs towards Gate B. A jolly elder security guard checked their student section wrist band, grinned at them, and let them through. This heightened the excitement; the moment they climbed the stairs and were overlooking the one hundred yard field, painted at each end zone with Syracuse Orange in bright orange and blue, both teams exercising, passing footballs back and forth, and ultimately glancing up and noting the thousands of fans gathered to watch.

"Damn," Troy remarked. "Pretty crazy, isn't it?"

"Insane," Chad grinned. "_Let's go, ORANGE!_"

Six eyes scanned for a large enough empty space on the bleachers and all six eyes came back with nothing. More students had showed up than they had expected and were nearly taking up all the room in the moderately-sized student section. Troy, Chad, and Zeke found themselves wandering up and down the bleachers, looking for a sizeable space for them to occupy. All of a sudden, Chad grinned, spotting a group of four girls sitting on the end of a row of bleachers and the rest of the row was empty. He began moving towards them and shouted back to his friends, "Found us a seat!"

Troy chuckled upon the realization that the seats were next to a group of girls. Chad did always have that special talent.

"Nice spot, man!" Zeke clapped Chad on the back, seemingly in approval of their new seats as well, as they apologized and excused themselves into the row.

"Well, what can I say?" Chad chuckled. "I just have an eye for these things!"

Soon, the game was in full swing. The first quarter began with a touchdown for both the Black Bears and the Orangemen, leaving the score at a tie of seven to seven. Within the end of the first quarter, the Orangemen were clearly not paying too much attention in their defense and the Black Bears scored again. The score was fourteen to seven with four minutes left until halftime. Troy turned to his friends, head shaking in disappointment. "We're worse than I thought we were."

"Agreed," Zeke frowned. "We _suck!_"

"Cuse, WAKE UP!" Chad shouted towards the field. "This is _Maine_ you're losing to! Come on!"

To lighten the crowd's moods a bit, the announcer came over the microphone, the camera switching on. "Alright all you Syracuse fans! It's time to pucker up for the Kiss Cam!"

"Aw, this thing is _so_ cute," Taylor squealed excitedly to Gabriella, who grinned and nodded.

"I know! I love how they just catch them by surprise. It's always so funny to see their reactions!"

The camera landed on a young couple, around twenty or twenty-one, sitting in nosebleed seats at the top of the Dome. They were laughing about something incomprehensible when the camera landed on them. The male pointed towards the screen and raised his eyebrows up and down, his girlfriend giggling and pushing his chest away in mock rejection. After a moment of playing, she leaned in and pressed her lips sweetly against his, to many "oohs" and "awws" from the crowd.

The Kiss Cam then switched to an elderly couple who were not looking at the camera. The woman was cleaning her glasses with a handkerchief, the man listening to something another spectator was saying. By the time they realized the Kiss Cam was on them, they flushed embarrassedly and pecked each other quickly, receiving applause. The camera then switched to a middle-aged couple sitting with their three young boys in the middle of the stands. They were arguing- both the parents and the children- and glanced at the Kiss Cam in annoyance. The man held up his hands in mock surrender before pulling his wife's mouth to his own, the kids making vomit actions in disgust. Gabriella giggled as she watched this, enjoying the different reactions from each couple.

And then, the unexpected happened.

The Kiss Cam landed on her.

At first, she thought it was a joke. She thought maybe the camera had a glitch and was meant to find a couple a row or two behind her, maybe in front of her. But no, after a moment or two of waiting and glancing around anxiously, the Kiss Cam remained on her and the stranger beside her. She glanced over at this boy for the first time and turned away, blushing furiously as she noted he was staring right back at her with the same shocked expression. Wasn't the Kiss Cam supposed to be for _couples?_ She didn't even know him!

Troy was honestly enjoying himself at the game, even though he had never really been a huge football fan. When the Kiss Cam came on, he honestly hadn't been paying attention. Watching other people kiss really wasn't high on his priority list. Instead he, Chad, and Zeke were in deep discussion over how Syracuse could improve their A-game when Chad's eyes had widened and he pointed towards the screen. "Dude," he'd said. "You're on the Kiss Cam." Troy, at first, had found that impossible. He wasn't even here with any girls! But when he snuck a glance at the brunette beside him and found she was just as shocked as he was, he knew this was real.

"So, um…" Troy began awkwardly, turning towards the girl as the audience began to yell, 'Kiss her! Kiss her!' "I guess… I guess we have to kiss."

Gabriella bit her lip, a hot blush rising on her cheeks. "I uh… I guess so."

"Okay…" Troy trailed off.

"Okay…" She repeated, chancing a glance into his eyes and glad when she found he was just as, if not more, nervous than she was.

"Now?"

"Sure."

Troy couldn't possibly thing of another way to procrastinate. So instead of uttering another word he leaned in, grateful that she did too, and softly pressed his lips onto hers. The shock of the situation ebbed away as pleasure took over and both sets of eyes blissfully closed. Gabriella hadn't expected to enjoy this kiss with a random stranger as much as she was. She had figured it would be awkward and uncomfortable, as kisses with strangers _should_ be. But there was something there… Something she couldn't explain, but definitely something she wanted more of as they continued to kiss.

Troy couldn't help but notice the intense and magnifying spark between them. He didn't know this girl, hell, he didn't even know her name, but there was something about this kiss that blew him way out of the water. Her lips were soft and supple beneath his own and the scent of strawberries and a hint of vanilla filled his nostrils as he leaned into her. This by far was better than the best kiss he had ever had with Courtney. And maybe, just _maybe_, if he got to know her better- or, at all- he could truly rid himself of his previous relationship's grievances.

"Oh well this is just fucking _perfect_," Sharpay huffed, slumping back against the bleachers as the game began again. "Gabriella gets a guy before I do. This is just like those ridiculous Disney movies."

"Let her have her moment," Taylor scolded and Kelsi agreed timidly.

"I think it's sweet," She smiled.

"Way to go, Bolton!" Chad cheered.

Zeke laughed. "That's right. You _show_ that Kiss Cam!"

Troy and Gabriella broke apart, blushing an intense shade of crimson and glancing at each other sheepishly. Troy extended a hand, feeling idiotic for doing so after the way they had just met. "Troy Bolton. Sorry… for that."

"Gabriella Montez," She chuckled, shaking his hand firmly. "Don't be."

Throughout the rest of the halftime show and the third quarter, Troy and Gabriella continued to sneak glances at each other, both ends of the spectrum curious about the other. When it was clear that Syracuse was going to win, at a score of thirty-eight to fourteen, Troy turned to Gabriella and nodded towards the door. "You wanna head out? We could talk or… something."

"Sure," Gabriella grinned and turned to Sharpay. "Meet you guys outside the Dome when the game's over?"

Sulking quite obviously, Sharpay nodded. "Sure, fine, perfect, have a good time."

Kelsi smiled softly. "Good luck."

Taylor winked. "Knock 'em dead, girl."

Giggling, Gabriella followed Troy out of the bleachers and turned back momentarily to say, "Thanks guys, will do."

* * *

"So, nice night, huh?" Troy glanced up at the night sky, noting he actually could see stars for once, instead of the hazy smog from the city.

"Yeah. My Astronomy professor would be so excited," She chuckled. "And it was a good game! We actually won!"

"I know. It was looking like we weren't going to, for awhile," Troy shook his head, grinning. "So… was that not the most awkward moment of your life, or was that just me?"

"Oh my God, yes!" Gabriella agreed. "It was _so_ weird! I didn't know they just picked on random strangers like that."

"Me either. It was really… strange." Troy paused, and then tentatively asked, "But it was nice… I mean, I enjoyed it."

Blushing, Gabriella nodded slowly. "So did I."

After a moment, she turned to him. "So, where are you from?"

"New Haven, Connecticut," He answered without missing a beat and her eyes widened. "What?"

"New Haven? That's like an hour from Storrs. I'm surprised you didn't go to UConn," She stated. "They're our rivals, you know."

"I know," Troy laughed. "Everyone at home was really shocked I came here. I'm kind of a traitor."

"No, you're intelligent. You picked the right school," Gabriella encouraged. "I'm from Saratoga. It's kind of a big deal in upstate New York."

"I know!" Troy exclaimed. "My Mom's a huge horse fan; we went last summer."

"No way!" She shrieked. "That's so cool. We were in the same vicinity and we didn't even know it."

I know, crazy," Troy shook his head. "Alright ready to play the ultimate getting-to-know-you game?"

"Sure. How do you play?"

"It's not that difficult, really. Just shoot off a bunch of random questions. One rule though: you can't use the same question as the person before you directly after they asked it."

Gabriella stopped walking and stared at him. "What?"

"Like, if I ask what your favorite color is, you can't ask that same question next, but you can ask it later on," He explicated. "Make sense?"

"Yeah," She smiled. "Can I go first?"

"Go for it, newbie."

Giggling, she posed, "Do you have brothers or sisters?"

"Two older sisters," Troy rolled his eyes. "Lucky me, right?"

"Yes!" Gabriella gasped. "I want siblings."

"Ah, see that would've been my question," Troy teased. "What's your major?"

"Early Childhood Education," She grinned. "Favorite movie?"

"It was _Forrest Gump_, but after this summer, now it's _Inception_," Troy answered. "Favorite color?"

"Purple," She smiled. "What's your major?"

"Sports marketing," He answered gleefully. "Any pets?"

"Just the horse I've had since I was seven. I don't even remember how to ride anymore," She stated. "What's your favorite color?"

"Blue," Troy stated, pausing a moment to think of something creative. "Favorite food?"

"Pasta salad. Favorite subject in school?"

"Gym," He grinned.

Gabriella burst into laughter. "Gym is not a subject!"

"Of course it is!" He disagreed. "Anyway, it's my turn. List three things you cannot live without."

"Okay, um… My Mom, my friends… and chocolate milkshakes."

Troy grinned. "Those are the best kind!"

"I know!" She agreed giddily. "Okay, name three things you cannot stand."

"Smoking, drivers who don't use turn signals, and when people use chat script in everyday life." Troy didn't even have to think.

Gabriella's eyes widened in agreement. "I _totally_ agree! The other day Sharpay, my roommate, said she'd 'brb.' I was like, do you even know how dumb that made you sound?"

"Wait a minute," Troy shook his head. "_You're_ Sharpay's roommate?"

"Yeah, why? You know her?"

"We sit together in French," Troy explained. "So _you're_ the girl I helped on the first night here? You two needed directions to Booth."

"Oh my God, that was _you_?" Gabriella exclaimed. "No freaking way."

Troy nodded, sensing that the game was ending as spectators were exiting the Dome, congratulating each other as if they were the ones who had played. It wouldn't be long before their friends met up with them and they were separated again. He grinned at her. "It is a small world, Gabriella Montez."

A warm smile spread slowly across her features. "Yes, it really is."


	4. Huntington Beard Crouse Hall

**Hello again! I am so thrilled that you all are enjoying this story just as much as I am enjoying writing it. I have been so busy with schoolwork and such, plus my e-mail account for FanFiction is my home e-mail not my school e-mail, so I haven't even been getting alerts, haha. It's such a surprise to come here and see 56 reviews for only three chapters. I love you guys! Anyway, this chapter is long because I crammed _so_ much into it haha. And don't be deterred by Aaron. I am a hardcore Troyella fan like many of you. I just like my drama. ;)**

**Again, any resemblance of these actions to real ones is a complete and utter coincidence. I created Aaron based off of the guy I sit next to in Spanish; same personality, different name. But other than that, I do not own this school, its buildings, this movie, or its characters. Thank you for reading!  
**

* * *

Bleeding Orange

Chapter Four: Huntington Beard Crouse Hall

…

"_I'm waiting for something  
Always waiting, feeling nothing  
Wondering if it'll ever change…"_

~ _"__**Give A Little More**__," Maroon 5_

…

He was _great_.

He was the type of guy Gabriella had always dreamed of dating, someone who charmed the hell out of everyone around and enticed laughter in even the direst of situations. He was tall, dark and handsome, the kind of guy you only found in fairytales, the kind you would be overly lucky to have- if you had the off-chance to obtain him. He had a very slight accent from growing up down south, but each time he pronounced the Spanish word "palabra" or "chistoso," the twang would reappear and Gabriella's intense crush only deepened.

His name was Aaron Jackson, an African American junior on the Syracuse Orangemen football team and, luckily, in her Spanish 201 class. Gabriella had sat next to him the first day of class, spoken to him nearly the entire time, and had continued to sit beside him every day since. He was hilarious- always making the other students laugh and even their professor, who pretended to scold him and reminded him every day to "_¡Habla en español, por favor!_" But there was no sense in denying that she too found his charm and wit irresistible.

So that Monday morning, Gabriella found herself seated in the half-circle of desks beside a girl named Amanda from Michigan and none other than Aaron Jackson. Gabriella wasn't too sure what she was feeling for this boy at the moment- in high school, she had never had a boyfriend. Sure, she had had numerous crushes, but she had always been too shy to voice her feelings and the moments would pass her by. Her lack of experience made her a little awkward and apprehensive around guys, even though she had promised herself that she'd be more outspoken and confident now that she was in college.

She had to start somewhere, right?

"Morning Aaron," She grinned at him as he sat down. He turned to look her in the eye, his deep ebony eyes penetrating her soft brown ones.

"Hey Gabriella, what's going on?" He returned. "You have a good weekend?"

"Yeah, a great one!" She responded brightly. "A few of my friends and I went to the Carousel Mall and then came back and watched a movie."

"Oh really?" He seemed genuinely interested. "What did you watch?"

"_Valentine's Day_," Gabriella replied and giggled at the look on his face. "Yeah, it's a total chick flick. I'm not surprised that you haven't seen it."

"Oh no, I've seen it," He reassured her. "I just… hated it."

"But it's so good!" She protested. "Fine, then. What did you do this weekend? You clearly weren't watching _Valentine's Day_."

He chuckled. "I was in Tampa with the team. We won."

"Oh yeah!" Gabriella smacked her forehead upon remembering. "I completely forgot about that. Congratulations!"

"Thanks," Aaron grinned. "Yeah, it was a pretty surprising win."

"I'll bet," She agreed and then flushed crimson. "That sounded so stupid. I just meant that you weren't supposed to win. Oh God! That's not what I meant! I-"

"_¡Chicos! Saquen la tarea, por favor_," Their teacher began class, unwinding her scarf and tossing it on the back of her chair.

Gabriella's cheeks burned with the remnants of her embarrassment as she heard Aaron shake with laughter beside her. _Great_, she thought. _I just made an idiot out of myself. Way to go, Gabriella_. She tried to focus her attention on their lecture; her young professor was dictating about the difference between the preterit and imperfect and when to use each verb tense. But since Gabriella had heard this same argument multiple times and since she couldn't get the moment of stupidity out of her head, she felt her eyes meander slowly towards her left, briefly connecting with Aaron's, who winked in response. If possible, she blushed even further and didn't look at him the rest of the class.

Once they had finished every textbook and oral exercise their professor deemed necessary to do, she dismissed them, shouting out the homework in Spanish as students hurried out to their next class. Gabriella had Astronomy lab in about ten minutes in the Physics building across the Quad, so she scribbled the homework down furiously, shoved her materials into her bag, and rushed out of the classroom. She was halfway through the Quad when she heard her name called through the rush of wind. Turning to find Aaron jogging up to her, she was surprised when he grabbed a hold of her arm, ceasing her steps.

"Gabriella," He stopped short. "Damn, you walk fast."

"I have lab in eight, no, seven minutes. It's in the basement of the Physics building and I'd rather not be late," Gabriella explained, glancing off in the direction of her next class.

Aaron shook his head. "Then I'll be quick. Would you maybe wanna have breakfast with me Friday morning at Funk 'N Waffles? They have the _best_ damn waffles in the world, I think."

"Do they?" Gabriella asked nervously, her heart a-flutter in her chest. "Where is it? I've never even heard of it."

"You haven't?" Aaron exclaimed, his eyes wide. "Oh, yeah. You're a freshman. It's on South Crouse; it's pretty close. Why don't we meet in front of the Hall of Languages? Say… 9:30, 10ish?"

Gabriella had to remind herself to breathe as she helplessly nodded. "Y-Yeah. Yeah that sounds great."

"Great!" Aaron grinned. "I'll see you tomorrow then, Gabriella. Have fun in lab."

He leaned in, close enough for Gabriella to smell the sweet Old Spice cologne, and kissed her cheek softly. Pulling back to shoot her a wink, he headed off in the opposite direction and Gabriella stood glued in her place, trying to figure what exactly had happened between her high school life and now that had made her so confident. Not once had she had a date before, not once did a guy take interest in her rather than her friends. Smiling to herself, Gabriella began her trek again towards the Physics building as she glanced towards the glowing blue of her cell phone screen.

So what if she was a little bit late?

* * *

Tuesdays were Troy's worst days of the week.

He had classes from ten in the morning until six at night with only a few breaks in between. It was incredibly difficult for him to focus when all he could think about was what would be going on the succession of classes to come, but he did his best. He was currently walking towards the Law College, where he had his introductory psychology course in Grant Hall. That particular class was incredibly popular and so full students rarely found a seat. In a lecture hall of around two or three hundred people, Troy scanned the room for a seat and found that he was incredibly early.

An open seat next to a familiar brunette caught his eye.

Troy had to blink a couple times before realizing that it really was her who was sitting there. She was wearing a simple pair of blue jeans and a navy and orange Syracuse t-shirt, her hair pulled into a half-up style and one leg resting daintily over the other. She pulled out a red notebook, flipped to an open page and yanked the cap off of her ballpoint pen, pensively writing the title of the day's lecture at the top of the clean sheet of paper. Troy found himself captivated by this simple performance. How had he not known she was in his class?

"Gabriella?" He called out to her and she turned, her face brightening considerably.

"Troy! Hi!" She greeted him warmly as he sat beside her. "I didn't know you were in this class. That's so funny."

"Me neither," Troy replied, yanking a notebook and a pen out of his bag and scribbling the same heading on top of his sheet of paper as she did. "If I knew, I wouldn't have sat by myself all these days."

She giggled. "Me neither! So how are you? How's everything going lately?"

"It's going pretty well. I'm glad last week's heat wave is over," Troy responded and Gabriella nodded. "Basketball practices are still going well. How about you?"

"Same, minus the basketball," Gabriella smiled. "I haven't been doing much, just homework. I've been trying to get out and do my astronomy take home lab, the one where we have to observe the sunset, but it hasn't been very sunny lately."

"Welcome to Central New York," Troy mused. "This weather is crazy-unpredictable. You could go to class when it's sunny and then come out of class to the apocalypse thunderstorm."

She grinned. "You sound like you're speaking from experience."

"I am," He chuckled. "Last Tuesday. I came to psych in the sun, left, and had to walk all the way to Watson in the thunderstorm. It was awful. I showed up to class looking like a drowned rat."

Bursting into laughter, Gabriella nodded her understanding. "I remember that storm! I just waited it out in the auditorium."

"Yeah, well I have two other classes after this one, so some of us aren't as lucky," He teased and she shook her head, a smile nearly splitting her face in two. "So you just go back to your dorm after this? You don't have any other classes?"

"Yes and no," She answered. "It's back to Booth after psych. That's when I do homework."

"Ah, gotcha." Troy nodded. "If you do homework during the week, what do you do on the weekends?"

"More homework," Gabriella admitted and Troy stared at her. "What? We usually hang out with our floor, but when they out to parties and stuff I just hang back and watch a movie or something."

"Not a party girl?" Troy asked and Gabriella adamantly shook her head, feeling juvenile. "Eh, it's cool. It's not for everyone. I'm not a _huge_ fan myself. I mean, I go out with Chad and a bunch of others on the floor and the team. But it's just not… I don't know. It's not something I want to do all weekend, every weekend."

Gabriella grinned. "That's very responsible of you."

He chuckled, scratching the back of his neck nervously. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Okay everyone, we're going to get started," Their professor called out. "Please turn off your cell phones, iPods, lap tops, BlackBerries, BlueBerries, StrawBerries, whatever they're called…"

Troy cringed. "That joke was only funny the first couple of times he told it."

Gabriella bit her lip. "Agreed. He needs new material."

The rest of the class was spent mostly in silence as they scrawled down notes on consciousness and dreaming. Gabriella was focused on the slide after slide in front of her, fascinated by the lecture and captivating facts on their own being. It amazed her that, each time she went to sleep, she no longer existed, in a way. The different stages in sleep explained why she had so many different dreams per night and why it was impossible to remember the very first one. She wrote them down furiously, her normally legible script becoming smudged by her rushing, since she was paying more attention to the material than the notes she was taking on it.

Troy, however, was paying more attention to her than his own notes. Ever since their infamous kiss at the football game the weekend before, Troy found himself thinking about the brunette quite often, something he was sure Chad would be proud of. There was just something about her, something he couldn't quite describe or explain, that he instantly liked. She was easy to talk to, funny, and, in a word, gorgeous. He could tell she was deeply entranced by the lecture, but he couldn't help but be deeply entranced by her presence.

Following the conclusion of the lecture, Troy tossed his notes and pen back into the open compartment of his backpack, watching through his peripheral version as Gabriella did the same. They descended the stairs from the auditorium and Troy held the glass door open for Gabriella as the departed the building, the latter blushing and thanking him graciously as the stepped into the mid-afternoon sun. It was oddly warm that mid-September day, but neither one was complaining, as they knew that warm temperatures in Syracuse were never a guarantee.

"Isn't it amazing?" Gabriella continued as they walked back around the Dome and towards the Quad. "I mean, you go to sleep and you don't exist for the eight-ish hours you're asleep. And then you wake up, and there you are! It's just crazy."

"Yeah I guess so," Troy chuckled at her excitement. "I think it's crazier that you can't wake someone up from stage-four sleep. It's practically like you're in a coma!"

"I know! Damn, this class is _so_ interesting," Gabriella remarked. "Definitely my favorite. What do you think?"

"Not my favorite- I like my intro to sports marketing class more than this one," Troy responded. "But this one is probably second best."

They walked in silence for a few moments before Troy turned to Gabriella, determination strong in his eyes. "Want to play another game?"

"Sure!" She grinned. "Which one this time?"

"How about… Never Have I Ever?" Troy's eyebrows rose daringly and Gabriella frowned.

"I don't drink."

"Lucky for you, I don't have any alcohol," Troy teased and Gabriella rolled her eyes playfully. "I will start. I have never been drunk. The most I ever have is two cups of whatever's there."

"Reassuring," Gabriella teased. "Um… Okay. I have never left the country. The farthest I've ever gone is to Florida when I was eight to go to Disney."

"Disney World is the shit," Troy winked and Gabriella blushed slightly. "I have never seen _Titanic_. I know it's like a classic, or whatever, and my sisters are always watching it and sobbing over it, but I've never seen it."

"You haven't? But it's _so_ good!" Gabriella gasped in shock. "Well, that needs to change. Um… I have never gone to sleep-away camp. Going to college is the first time I've been separated from my Mom."

Troy smiled. "I have never played Ultimate Frisbee, but our floor is playing glow-in-the-dark Frisbee in the Quad on Thursday night, so I'm going to have to learn."

"Oh my God! We're playing too!" Gabriella shrieked. "The BKM versus Sadler and athletic dorms game?"

"Yeah!" Troy chuckled. "That's a crazy-ass coincidence. Game on, Montez."

"Oh, you're going _down_," She insisted. "Okay… I have never been to South Campus or used a public transportation bus."

Troy laughed. "Nice. I have never been to the Carousel Mall."

"Really? It's really nice," Gabriella commented. "I have never been to the sixth floor in Bird Library, but apparently it's really cool."

"I've never eaten at a dining hall other than Ernie Davis."

"I have never told anyone's secret that they trusted me with."

"Really?" Troy remarked. "Well, you're the person to go to, then. Um… I have never… cheated on anyone?"

Gabriella giggled slightly. "You don't seem like the type."

"I'm not, trust me." Troy told her as they crossed the street, nearing Watson.

"Good," She smiled. "Um… I have never been in love."

Images of the past few years and a certain blonde filled his head. "Really?"

Blushing again, she shook her head slowly. "Well, technically I've never had a boyfriend, so…"

"_You haven't?_" Troy exclaimed in utter shock and Gabriella jumped a little. "Are you serious?"

"Um, yes. Why?"

"You just don't look like someone who would have trouble getting a guy," Troy complimented and Gabriella's flush deepened. "No, I'm serious. What's not to like?"

"Thanks Troy," She glanced away. "But yeah. Never had one, so… yeah."

Troy stared at her for a long time before shaking his head. "That's not fair."

Giggling nervously, Gabriella chanced looking at him. "Why? Have _you_ been in love before?"

It was Troy's turn to blush as he tried to avoid her gaze. "No."

"I think you're lying."

"I'm not!" He stated unconvincingly and she shot him a look. "Okay, I am. Let's just say… It ended badly, okay?"

"I'm sorry," She said softly, placing a comforting hand on his arm. "If you ever want to talk about it, you have my number."

Troy smiled. "Thanks. Anyway, it's my turn now. I have never been as shocked as I was right now to find that you've _never_ had a boyfriend."

Gabriella rolled her eyes, sticking her tongue out at him playfully. "I had never been kissed before that game last weekend."

Troy frowned. "I have never hoped that I didn't ruin your first kiss more than I do now."

Gabriella grinned. "I have never thought of that kiss as ruined."

That confession made both hearts flutter and Troy groaned as they stopped outside Watson. "I have never _not _wanted to go to class more than I do right now."

Gabriella chuckled. "Go to class! I'll see you at Frisbee!"

Troy nodded reluctantly. "Fine. Fun game, no?"

She agreed and relished the opportunity to hug him when he opened his arms to her. "Absolutely. I'll see you later!"

Troy waved as she headed off towards Booth Hall and him up the stairs to Watson. "Bye Gabriella!"

Maybe, just _maybe_, Tuesdays wouldn't be so bad after all.

* * *

"_BKM! BKM! BKM! BKM!_"

"Please explain to me why we're doing this," Sharpay asked her roommate, tightening her ponytail as they followed the BKM team- consisting of students and RA's from the dorms Booth, Kimmel, and Marion- towards the Quad. Night had just fallen on the Syracuse campus and they were ready for a fierce game of glow-in-the-dark Frisbee.

"Because it's going to be so much fun," Gabriella stated as if it were obvious. And it was, to everyone else. The brunette was dressed casually, her hair tied into pigtails at the neck, and a bandana tied loosely around her scalp. She also had two dark strips of war paint beneath her eyes and two glow sticks around her neck, matching the rest of her team. "It'll be awesome, don't worry."

"I'm not worrying," Sharpay whined a little. "It just seems… stupid."

"So do you, but we live with you anyway," Gabriella teased and Sharpay glared at her. "Just shut up and have fun, okay?"

"Whatever!" Sharpay huffed. "How do you play, anyway?"

"No idea!" Gabriella said cheerfully. "Just run around; that's all that matters."

They reached the Quad, where the other team, consisting of students and RA's from Sadler Hall and the athletic dorms, was already waiting for them. A few of the RA's went over the rules and pointed out the end zones as Troy and Chad approached the girls. Chad chuckled, grasping Gabriella's hand and twirling her around. "Don't you look cute! Keep in mind, though, that this game isn't about the looks. We're going to _crush_ you."

"Thanks Chad," Gabriella beamed. "And, um sorry, but no, you're not. BKM is just all kinds of amazing. I can't wait to see _how_ you think you'll win."

"I don't even know how to play!" Sharpay wailed and Troy and Chad chuckled.

Gabriella gritted her teeth. "That's not something you admit to the _enemy_!"

Troy grinned wickedly. "I'd like to see you _try_ to win, Montez."

"Oh yeah, Bolton?" Gabriella stepped up to him, a challenge. "Watch me."

They raced back and forth, never taking their eyes off of the glowing Frisbee as they ran towards each respective end zone. Sharpay was standing by uninterestedly and stepped away each time the Frisbee neared her. Her teammates were becoming increasingly annoyed by her refusal to play and the opposing team was taking advantage of this, seizing each chance they got to use her as leeway. "Sharpay," Gabriella hissed as she ran by. "You're not even _trying_!"

"I can't!" She shrieked. "What do I do?"

"Catch the damn thing!" Their RA yelled as the Frisbee came soaring towards her.

Sharpay reached out towards the glowing and spinning object and let out a shriek as it collided with her fingers. "Ouch! I broke a nail!"

Gabriella groaned, rolling her eyes as the other team obtained the Frisbee and Chad and Troy dissolved in hysterics. "You _would_ break a nail. Why don't you just go over there? Be our cheerleader, or something."

Sharpay glared back at her roommate. "It's not like _you're_ fucking MVP or anything, Montez. You suck at this game too!"

"The difference being I am actually putting an effort into it," Gabriella informed her friend. "And they passed it to me twice!"

"You dropped it both times." Sharpay deadpanned and Gabriella shook her head, running away from her negative energy.

A few moments later, with Sharpay happily perched on the sidelines, Gabriella stood idly by their team's end zone, picking at the hem of her tank top absentmindedly and watching her team scramble over the Frisbee at the other end of the Quad. She was worn out, sweaty, and out of breath- she couldn't _wait_ to take a shower. All of a sudden, her RA screamed out, "Gabriella!" as the Frisbee came soaring towards her. She began to run towards the glowing object and her run turned into a sprint as she noticed Troy was flying after it too. Arm outstretched, her fingertips had just grazed the cold plastic when an arm caught her stomach and she was no longer viewing the game.

Instead, she was watching the grass, a dark green in color, and it took a while for her to figure out what was going on. She watched the grass rush by her eyes, heard a multitude of laughter and cheers, and only then felt the strong arm around her waist. Wriggling upward, she realized she was being held rather firmly over Troy's shoulder, as he now had possession of the Frisbee and was looking for a person to pass it too. At first, she was confused. Then, she realized he had used his creative tactic to win the game.

Giggling, she pushed against his shoulder to be let free. "What are you doing? Let go of me!"

"No chance, Gab," Troy decided, tossing the Frisbee to Chad, who ran past and scored. "That last trick you pulled was too close. You almost scored and we _can't_ have that."

"_My_ trick? What about what you just pulled? You're cheating!" She shrieked.

"Hmm," Troy pretended to think. "Nope, I don't think that I care."

Wriggling against him, she finally managed to loosen his grip enough for her to slide through. "Now we lost! Look what you did!"

"Look what _you_ did," Troy grinned. "You helped me win!"

Sadler and South Campus cheered upon the announcement of the winner. Sharpay rushed over to Gabriella and smacked her arm. "What the hell! You made us lose!"

"We were down by like, five," Gabriella straightened her outfit. "We would've lost anyway."

"Great game," Chad congratulated, the pristine white of his teeth reflecting orange glow sticks around his neck. "You guys are _really_ good at losing."

"Oh suck it, Danforth," Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Like you guys are so great."

"Um, we beat you," Troy cut in. "So that's good in my book."

"You guys, seriously," Gabriella rolled her eyes. "It was a game. Calm down!"

"Whatever," Troy agreed as they began to leave the Quad for the evening. "You guys are going to Juice Jam tomorrow, right?"

"Of course," Sharpay eyed him warily, as if sensing ulterior motives, and purposefully asked, "Gabriella, you have that breakfast date with Aaron tomorrow, don't you?"

She glanced pointedly at Troy, whose eyes widened as they both waited for her to answer. Gabriella bit her lip, sensing the awkwardness among the group. "Um… Yeah. When's Juice Jam? Twelve-ish? One?"

Troy looked grateful for the change of subject. "Yeah, like one, I think. You guys wanna meet up?"

"Sounds good!" Gabriella grinned as they planned to depart.

"Sweet! Well, you have my number." He said and she chuckled.

"Yeah, you have mine too." Gabriella confirmed as they left the boys. "See you tomorrow!"

As they were halfway back to Booth, Gabriella shot Sharpay a pointed stare. She blanched. "What?"

"What do you mean 'what'? Why would you randomly bring up Aaron?" Gabriella asked and Sharpay chuckled.

"It was funny to watch you both squirm," Sharpay shrugged. "Relax."

"Whatever," Gabriella moved on. "I just think it's unnecessary. You made things uncomfortable."

"But if you have feelings for Aaron and not Troy, why would things be uncomfortable?" Sharpay asked innocently and grinned wickedly at Gabriella's blushing. "And anyway, I'm Sharpay Evans. Making things uncomfortable is my job."

* * *

The following morning, Sharpay and Gabriella were riding the bus to South Campus, where the Juice Jam would take place on Skytop Field. Juice Jam was an all-day live music festival; this year's performers included Lupe Fiasco, Passion Pit, and Super Mash Bros. To be perfectly honest, Gabriella hadn't heard of any of them, but she was excited to spend the day listening to eclectic music with her friends. Upon arrival, Sharpay immediately thrust the tickets at the security guard and pulled Gabriella through the hordes of students, saying, "Trust me, I know how to navigate crowds."

After standing on top of a bench to get a good overhead look of the crowd, Gabriella spotted Taylor and Kelsi a few feet away, sitting on blankets on the grassy hill. Ignoring Sharpay's complaint about grass stains on her new white miniskirt, they made their way through the crowd of people, shouting their greetings toward their friends. Taylor was shooting Gabriella a pointed stare when she brought herself down upon the checkered blanket, to which the brunette worriedly replied, "What? What's going on?"

"I don't know. What _is_ going on?" Taylor winked secretly, and when Gabriella still could not decipher what was going on, she sighed. "How was your breakfast date with Aaron?"

Sharpay smirked knowingly. "Yeah, Gabriella? How _was_ that date?"

"Wait, you told Sharpay before me?" Taylor shrieked. "What the hell?"

"Taylor, she's my roommate. I didn't want her to kill me in my sleep, so I didn't risk keeping it a secret from her," She explained and then wilted a little. "The date was… okay, I guess."

"What happened?" Kelsi asked quietly.

"I don't know," Gabriella bit her lip. "He seemed like such a nice guy and he's still hilarious. But I just expected there to be more of a… spark. You know?"

"Of course," Taylor placed a comforting hand on her arm. "That's what you need to assure that there could be something with him. And if you don't think there could be, then it probably wasn't meant to be."

"Oh, no Taylor, _that's_ the best part," Sharpay chuckled dryly. "She's going out with him again."

Kelsi's eyes widened. "You are?"

Gabriella shrugged. "I just want to give him a second chance."

"Hey guys!" Chad Danforth shouted, coming to sit with the group as Zeke and Troy followed.

"What's going on?" Zeke asked, winking at Sharpay, who blushed and looked away.

"Nothing," Taylor stated, her disbelieving eyes still focused hard on Gabriella's.

"How's it going?" Troy asked, sitting beside Gabriella, who grinned easily, forgetting the previous conversation ever occurred.

"Everything's good," She responded. "I've never heard this kind of music before, though."

"Really?" Troy sounded genuinely surprised. "What kind of music do you listen to?"

"Pop, usually. I'm a Lady Gaga, Maroon 5, Taylor Swift person," Gabriella giggled at Troy's horrified face.

"Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga I can understand, I guess," He remarked. "But _Maroon 5?_ Are you serious?"

"What? They're amazing!"

"Amazingly awful." Troy teased.

Gabriella giggled. "They are _not_."

Watching the banter between the two, Kelsi turned to her roommate and whispered quietly, "I think I found the spark Gabriella's looking for."

Taylor nodded her agreement. "Definitely. She's oblivious."


	5. Carnegie Library

**Good morning, FanFictioners! How's everyone doing today? It is a nasty day in Syracuse today- cold, rainy, windy, blehhh. But that's okay, because I'm going home tomorrow for Thanksgiving break! Yay! Hahaha. So, thank you again for the amazing reviews. Honestly, and I might sound a little repetitive, I am SO so excited about the reviews I'm getting! I love you all, seriously. The sincerity and the constructive criticism you're offering me is astounding.**

**I do not own nor am I affiliated with High School Musical, its characters, Syracuse University, Frou Frou, or their song "Let Go." And though the song is a little weird, it's quite amazing, haha. Go look it up! Actually, read and review first. ;)  
**

* * *

Bleeding Orange

Chapter Five: Carnegie Library

…

"_So let go  
Yeah let go, just get in  
Oh, it's so amazing here  
It's alright  
_'_Cause there's beauty in the breakdown."_

~ _"__**Let Go**__," Frou Frou_

…

Monday afternoon, following Juice Jam and the epic glow-in-the-dark Frisbee game on the Quad, Syracuse University was hosting its annual Student Involvement Fair. Besides boasting its nationally-recognized academics, the University was also known for having over two hundred extracurricular clubs, intramural sports, and student-based organizations. A major part of becoming a well-rounded individual and getting the most out of one's college experience was getting involved in after-school activities and at Syracuse University, there were so many opportunities to choose from, it was almost hard _not_ to get involved.

The Student Involvement Fair was held in the Quad from eleven in the morning until three in the afternoon that Monday and a representative or two from each student activity group was present. They had decorated tables with orange and blue tablecloths, balloons, and even some streamers and confetti, as well as a poster-board filed with information about their respective club's activities and a few pictures from different events they had participated in. The clubs ranged from different dance troupes and the student-based television station called CitrusTV to "What the Health" magazine and Verbal Seduction, the University's art and literary magazine. With so many different and diverse clubs to join, it was a wonder people didn't just join them all!

Following her nine-thirty astronomy lab which finally let out at ten-fifty, Gabriella met with Taylor in front of the Physics building so they could peruse the different choices before them. Taylor walked through the Quad like a woman on a mission, quite the opposite of Gabriella, who had no idea what she was looking for. She just wanted to join something that would be good for her and for the community. Because she loved helping people so much, she wanted something that would mirror her desires and fulfill her need to bring people the relief they needed.

Habitat for Humanity seemed to be the perfect match.

Syracuse University's Habitat for Humanity was a dedicated group of students who were committed to providing decent, affordable housing through house sponsorship, building projects, and alternative break building trips. They strived to succeed in the areas of building, fundraising, education and advocacy for the issue of affordable housing. Their efforts served as a primitive example of "scholarship in action"- the University's motto; putting your education to the test in real-life situations. They were effective communicators who educated their campus and community through learning about housing issues as well as teaching others. The group has succeeded in constructing three homes and rehabilitating six homes in the Westside neighborhood of Syracuse, in collaboration with Syracuse University's Near West Side Initiative.

Definitely something the two girls wanted to get involved in.

"Our proudest accomplishment, however, is not the number of homes but rather the number of lives that we have changed in the community of Syracuse and beyond," the intelligent-looking brunette informed them. "We gladly welcome new members! Are you two thinking of joining?"

"Absolutely," Taylor grinned. "I was a part of my high school's Habitat for Humanity and we got to go down to Georgia last spring to build a new house for this un-suspecting family. We even got to meet Jimmy Carter!"

Gabriella's eyes widened. "You did?"

"Yeah, it was an amazing experience," Taylor confirmed. "Where's the sign-up sheet?"

Gabriella watched Taylor scrawl her strict handwriting on the line and waited for her to pass the pen. As she did so, Gabriella grinned at her and placed her own name and contact information right beneath her best friend's, truly confident and proud of her decision. The intelligent-looking brunette beamed. "Great! Thanks so much! An e-mail will be sent out with the information about the first meeting and this Thursday's first event."

Taylor and Gabriella nodded their understanding and stepped away from the table, heading towards the other side of the Quad to exit. "So, lots of homework tonight?"

Gabriella nodded. "Yeah. I have to study for the huge psych exam on Wednesday. It's going to be _so_ hard."

"Ooh, good luck," Taylor frowned. "What about Spanish? Any hard tests? Lots of homework? More dates with Aaron?"

Gabriella shot her a look. "What was that last one?"

"Dates with Aaron?" Taylor asked nonchalantly. "Oh come on, Gabriella, you have to tell me _something!_"

"I tell you everything!" Gabriella insisted. "I'm not really sure what's going on with us, to be honest. It's back and forth with him. He's either really into me and he'll text me nonstop all day, or we'll go a few days without speaking, even though we see each other in Spanish every day. I don't know. It's weird. I really like him, but… I don't know."

"Are you two dating?" Taylor asked bluntly, heading towards Maxwell for her next class.

Gabriella shrugged. "No, not really. I mean, we've gone out a couple times, but… It's not official."

"It's not FBO?" Taylor asked jokingly and blanched when Gabriella stared at her.

"What the hell is FBO?" Gabriella giggled slightly.

"FBO? Facebook-Official?" Taylor grinned when Gabriella burst into laughter.

"No, no it's not," She denied. "We're just friends. I think."

Taylor chuckled and then asked, "What about you and Troy?"

Gabriella groaned. "What _about_ me and Troy? Why does everyone keep asking me that?"

"Hey, just wondering," Taylor threw her hands up in defense. "You two just… click, that's all."

"Yeah, I know. It's great to have such a good friend-" She stopped at the look Taylor was shooting her. "What?"

"I have to go to PAF," Taylor deadpanned, heading towards Maxwell and shooting Gabriella the same look over her shoulder.

"Troy and I are just friends, too," Gabriella called after her, biting her lip and adding as an afterthought, "I think."

* * *

"What's the goal of psychology?"

"To find out what is in the mind and how we know. What's structuralism and who came up with this theory?"

"Edward B. Titchener and he believed that thoughts and sensations combined to create a psychological experience. What was the Loewi Experiment and how did that prove chemical transmission?"

"That's the one with the frog heart, right?" Troy squinted, trying to remember. "Damn, I can see the answer, but I don't know what it is."

"Which, by the way, is called tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon," Gabriella giggled. "Okay, let's move on to the spinal cord and the brain."

"I don't wanna," Troy whined. "This is so boring!"

"It's not boring," Gabriella reprimanded. "It's necessary. It's the first exam of the class and we're _not_ failing it!"

"You're too focused on schoolwork," Troy frowned, but winked teasingly. "Tell me about the spinal cord, then. What's the difference between dorsal and ventral?"

"The spinal cord transfers reflexes and brings signals from the brain to the rest of your brain through ascending and descending fibers. Sensory nerves come in through the back and are called dorsal nerves while motor nerves come in through the front and are called ventral nerves."

Troy stared at her. "Did you memorize the textbook?"

Giggling, she shook her head. "Come on! No! When would I have time to do that? Okay, let's do the hindbrain now. What does the medulla do?"

"It houses biological reflexes that you cannot control," Troy smiled proudly. "Such as breathing, swallowing, blood pressure, and more. Pons?"

"The Pons is where crossing over occurs. The right side of the brain controls the left side of the body and vice versa," Gabriella dictated. "Cerebellum?"

"Balance," Troy grinned smartly. "Okay, the midbrain. Tell me about the tectum and the tegmentum."

"The tectum controls eye movements and the tegmentum houses the dopamine-making cells, which is the chemical involved in pleasure." Gabriella answered, checking their textbook for the next part of the brain. "Okay, what about the central gray area?"

"I have no idea what that is," He said honestly before reading the answer in their book. "Oh yeah! It houses the neurons that keep you awake and put you to sleep. What about the superior and inferior colliculi?"

"Superior is vision, inferior is hearing," Gabriella said without hesitation. "On to the old brain. What is the hypothalamus used for?"

"The four Fs- food, flight, fight, and fuck," Troy responded, chuckling. "That's one of the ones I always remember."

"Because of the first and the last," Gabriella giggled. "That's not surprising."

"Hey! I resent that," He mock-glared at her. "Okay, the thalamus, oh wise one?"

"The thalamus is known as the 'switchboard' because it houses all sensory information," Gabriella yawned. "The limbic system?"

"Emotions," Troy answered. "And did you just _yawn_, Montez? Are you as bored as I am?"

"No," Gabriella shook her head slowly but her efforts were futile as another yawn escaped her mouth. "Okay, maybe a little. But there's nothing I can do about that. We have to study! What's the basal ganglia?"

"Well first of all, it's _your_ turn to answer, not mine," Troy pointed out and she grinned sheepishly. "And second, we need a study break. We've been studying for… five hours! Gabriella!"

"What?" She was shocked by his sudden outburst, but then realized they had been in the library since nine that morning and now it was nearing two-thirty.

"Let's go on an adventure," He suggested. "Let's go take a tour of campus."

"I don't need a tour of campus!" She giggled. "I've been here for a month and a half!"

"Okay, but have you seen the campus? I mean, really _seen_ it?" Troy asked and Gabriella bit her lip. "Okay then. You need a Syracuse University tour by yours truly."

Shaking her head disbelievingly, Gabriella began to pack up her notes and textbook. "Okay Bolton. Lead the way."

The left the library and walked up the street, heading towards the main building on campus and pausing before its grand entrance. "Syracuse University" was etched in pewter stone with fresh roses and lilies beneath the sign, grand staircases leading up to the marble pathway towards the Hall of Languages and in front of that, the Pan Am Memorial. When she and Troy stood on top of the stairs, Gabriella found she could see for miles. Turning to view him, she waited for further instruction.

"Hello! My name's Troy Bolton and I'm going to be your tour guide today!" He greeted her with a firm handshake which, giggling, she accepted. "Please stop me if I'm going to fast or if you have any questions. Okay! So here we are in front of the Hall of Languages, the oldest building on campus and the only building on campus for the first fourteen years of SU's existence. It is home to the College of Arts and Sciences, though many, if not all, students will have a class or two in here throughout their college experience."

"On the side of the building, there are stairs to a door that cannot be opened," Troy informed her as he showed her this door. "But from the inside, it's just a wall. Thus, we call this the door that never was."

Gabriella laughed out loud. "You sound so official. You don't really have to talk like that."

"Why yes, I really do," He winked, continuing. "Beside the Hall of Languages is Hinds Hall, the home to the College of Information Studies. Behind the Hall of Languages is Huntington Beard Crouse Hall, which houses the writing department and many, many classes."

Gabriella stopped to admire the mosaic on the side of the building. "The Sacco and Vanzetti trial."

"Oh, I'm glad you know what that is, because I was going to skip it," He chuckled. "Anyway, here we are in the Quad! This is the direct center of campus, where you can gather to study, catch some sun, or play Frisbee with friends. It's a pretty important part of campus life, actually."

"I love that two girls over there are in bathing suits," Gabriella giggled at the sun-bathing women. "You two are _so_ cool."

"No mocking the students, Miss Montez," Troy reprimanded. "Anyway, moving on. This Hendricks Chapel, home to services of any religion as well as multiple convocations and public lectures. There's actually a story of two people who met their freshman year of college, dated, and then married right here in the chapel years later."

"You're making that up," Gabriella accused but her eyes widened when Troy denied this statement. "Really? Aw, that's _so_ cute!"

"It is, I guess. If you're into that stuff," Troy shifted uncomfortably. "Anyway, next to Hendricks is the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. I don't really know anything about that one, so let's move on."

Troy brought her to the College of Law complex, the Holden Observatory and Crouse College, the familiar Carrier Dome, and the Physics Building, explaining his extent of knowledge to her as best as he could. The tour then led them to a gorgeous building erected in 1907, with marble Romanesque columns and fifty or so steps to the elegant oak doors. The name etched in stone was Carnegie Library, and Gabriella had to admit that she hadn't ever really noticed it before. She hadn't known that there was a library outside of Bird, to be quite honest.

"This is Carnegie Library," Troy began to explain. "It's home to the mathematics department, the science and technology library, and oldest freshman joke in the history of SU."

Gabriella looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"See the three doors at the top of all those steps?" Troy pointed out and Gabriella nodded. "They're not really doors; they're windows, actually. So freshmen who don't know that will run all the way up those fifty-something steps, tug on the door handle, and wonder why they don't open. And when they do, there's always an upperclassman around to yell, 'Freshman!' Cruel, but also kind of hilarious."

"That's so mean!" Gabriella shrieked in horror. "Good thing I didn't have a class there this semester, because that _definitely_ sounds like something I would do."

"There are two doors on either side of the staircase at the bottom that are the _real_ entrances," Troy explained. "Just for future reference!"

"Good to know," Gabriella eyed the building with disdain. "Definitely good to know."

Following Carnegie Library was Bowne Hall and then the Orange Grove, in which Troy was eager to show her another one of Syracuse University's landmarks. "This is the Whispering Wall."

"Why the Whispering Wall?" She questioned and Troy gasped.

"Gabriella, do you know _anything_ about your school?" He asked and she chuckled. "I bet you don't know about the Kissing Bench either, do you?"

She bit her lip cautiously. "Um, no."

"Oh my God," Troy sighed. "Okay, let's do this one first. See how this wall is curved?"

"I do."

"The rumor has it that if one person kneels at one end and the other person kneels at the other, you can whisper to them and they'll be able to hear it," Troy explicated. "Wanna try?"

"Yeah!" She shouted excitedly, kneeling down and waiting for Troy to do the same. When he was settled, she whispered, "Does this really work, or are you lying to me right now?"

"Answer that question yourself, Gab," was the reply she heard and she gasped in shock.

"Holy shit, this really works!"

"You really thought I was lying?" Troy asked incredulously. "You have no faith in me."

"I'm sorry," She apologized. "So… Should we keep going with the tour? Because we look like idiots."

"Yeah, that's a good plan."

They continued and passed by the Shaffer Art Building, the Hall of Engineering, and Sims Hall. As they passed the Life Sciences Complex, they found themselves back on the main street, passing the alumni center, the library and the student union, and the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. At the finale of the tour, Troy brought her back towards the Quad, a marble bench in the horizon. Gabriella turned to him, a small smile on her face. "The Kissing Bench?"

"That it is," Troy chuckled. "It's a legend."

"Oh is it?" She wondered, running her hands over the cool marble.

"Yeah. Legend says that a couple who kisses on this bench are destined to marry," Troy informed her. "Cool, huh?"

"Awesome," Gabriella grinned. "I wonder if it really works."

"Yeah," Troy stated softly. "So do I."

They lingered there a moment more before Gabriella uttered, "So, back to studying?"

"What?" Troy asked incredulously. "You're not even going to tell me what you thought of the tour?"

"I'm sorry. Thank you for the tour; the school is lovely, just as I expected," Gabriella smiled wryly. "Now, back to studying?"

Troy stared at her for a long time before shaking his head. "I cannot believe you, Montez."

Giggling, she led the way back through the Quad and down the hill towards Ernest Stevenson Bird Library. The ascended the stairs to the second floor and found a table in the back of Learning Commons so they could be secluded, so they could focus, so their laughter and playful mockery of one another would not disturb the other studying students. It was nearing five o'clock and they knew they would have to leave soon to catch Ernie Davis before its busy mealtime hours, but they figured that if they got at least another half hour of studying in, it would make it all worth it.

After spending nearly all day learning the difference of structuralism and behaviorism and the contents of the brain, Troy felt as though his own brain was about to explode. If he didn't do well on this test, he was to put the blame on Gabriella. _Gabriella_. The mere thought of her name just made him smile. Only a true friend would spend an entire day running about campus and studying for a psychology test that probably wasn't going to be as hard as they were making it. _A true friend or a future-_ Troy stopped his mind from even making these thoughts. Friend. They were friends. She might be gorgeous, intelligent, hilarious, caring… What was he saying, again?

Oh yeah. _Friend_.

"Hey Gabriella?" Troy stopped her mid-sentence as she differentiated between the occipital and parietal lobes.

"Yeah? What's up?"

Troy simply smiled. "Thanks."

Gabriella wrinkled her nose in confusion, but her lips twitched upwards. "You're welcome?"

"You know, for studying with me all day," Troy chuckled. "For keeping me concentrated."

Giggling, she shook her head. "You could've done it yourself, don't lie. But you're welcome. What are friends for, right?"

Troy nodded, turning to the next page in his textbook to catch a glimpse of a highly-detailed diagram of the brain.

Right. _Friends_.

* * *

Thursday afternoon, Troy headed out of Lyman Hall and began his journey to Bowne Hall, where his English class was held, his eyes drooping and threatening to close. He was exhausted and couldn't wait to head back to his dorm, climb into bed, and take a long and well-deserved nap. It had been a tiring week- his economics presentation, the beastly psychology exam, and hours upon hours of grueling basketball practices. He was _so_ ready for the weekend, even if it was Parent's Weekend. His parents and sisters were coming to visit, but even with them there, he couldn't _wait_ to be able to sleep in and not have to do any work.

Upon ascending a flight of stairs and entering the Quad, Troy was thrown into a mass of confusion. All throughout the middle section of grass, there were tiny shacks made of plywood and nails, harshly constructed and blandly standing in the middle of the Quad. There must have been hundreds of these little shacks and each one had a student or two inside or around it, painting, decorating, or simply just _living_ inside it. Troy was insanely confused- what _was_ this? Was it some kind of protest? He continued to walk through the Quad, shooting odd glances towards the students inside their shacks, until he came upon someone he recognized quite well.

"Gabriella?"

Gabriella was sitting in the doorway of her shack, scribbling furiously in a notebook as she tried to keep the sun from her eyes. Her shack was about the size of a child's play tent, complete with a slanted roof, a doorway- though no concrete door, and a window. Beneath the window, she hung a flowerbox filled with an array of flowers she had probably taken from the horticulture club. There was room for maybe two people in her shack, three would definitely push its limits, and she was resting against a pillow against the far wall. Her iPod was blasting Taylor Swift, creating an upbeat tempo to her writing. She squinted against the sun when he called out to her.

"Hey Troy!" Her excited tone was welcoming as she greeted him to their event. "Welcome to the Shack-A-Thon!"

"Shack-A-Thon?" Troy questioned. "What the hell is that?"

"We're raising awareness with Habitat for Humanity," Gabriella explained. "Do you know how many people live in under-developed or under-code housing in the world? The statistics would blow your mind."

"So you're going to sit out here all day?"

"Uh huh!" She grinned brightly. "And most of the night. We have a ton of fun activities planned."

"Like what?"

"A benefit concert, a barbeque, and- shit! My pen my just ran out of ink!" Leaning out the window of her shack, she shouted, "Taylor, do you have an extra pen?"

The small curtain on the window of the shack besides Gabriella whipped open. "Sure. Give me one second. Hi Troy."

"Hey Taylor, what's up?"

"Not much, you?" She responded distractedly, producing a pen from her schoolbag. "Here you go, Gabriella."

"Thank you!" She retrieved the pen and continued to write. "So, are your parents coming this weekend?"

"Yeah," Troy yawned. "I think my sisters are coming too. I don't know, though."

"That'll be good!" Gabriella chuckled. "You can give them one of your famous tours."

"You know, I _could_," Troy smirked. "They're famous, now."

Gabriella shook her head, a grin upon her face. "Of _course_ they are."


	6. Booth Hall

**Hello again! Guys, it's SUNNY in Syracuse right now! I'm so excited. This is so rare after September, it's not even funny. Hahaha anyways, how was everyone's weekend? Hopefully you all had a lovely Thanksgiving (if you celebrate it) and didn't get too tripped up on tryptophan. ;) Thank you all for continuing your kind words! They really do make me very very happy! I unfortunately was very busy over break and did not get a lot of writing in, but don't you worry, because I only have eight more days of classes, three finals, and then I'm yours for 33 days of Christmas vacation. =D**

**I do not own nor am I affiliated with Syracuse University, High School Musical, or Jesse McCartney. I do hope you enjoy this chapter! Thanks again for reading!  
**

* * *

Bleeding Orange

Chapter Six: Booth Hall

…

"_Just another day, started out like any other  
Just another girl who took my breath away  
Then she turned around, she took me down, and  
Just another day that I had the best day of my life…"_

_~ "__**Best Day of My Life**__," Jesse McCartney_

…

In his dream, Troy and Gabriella were picnicking on top of University Hill, perched on top of a patchwork quilt in front of the majestic Crouse College building, talking and laughing about everything and nothing. There was a wicker picnic basket at their feet, filled with sandwiches, fresh fruit, and a tall pitcher of lemonade, ready to be eaten but ultimately forgotten by the couple. The campus was empty save for the two teenagers atop the hill and the weather was unlike anything Syracuse would normally see; the sunlight was pouring through the deep blue ocean of sky, not a cloud to disrupt the Godly light, and a rainbow was in the horizon. Troy pointed this out to the beautiful brunette, who grinned and kissed his cheek.

Just then, an angry Sharpay approached the couple, shouting insulting remarks and obscenities at them, her arms thrust out in front of her. She screamed a few incomprehensible words before demanding they give her blanket back to her. The two couldn't remember borrowing the blanket from her, but they were afraid of what she would do if they did not comply. A moment or two later, when she had finally gotten what she wanted, Sharpay returned, this time with huge, heavy boulders. She chased Troy and Gabriella up the hill and cornered them against the wall, beginning to chuck the rocks at their bodies, grinning at the consequential _bang_ as they hit the wall. _Bang! Bang! Bang!_

The banging continued even after Troy pulled his mind from the confines of sleep. He squinted in the obvious sunlight streaming from the un-shaded window- why hadn't they closed the curtains the night before? Groaning, he glanced at the clock as the banging continued and noticed it was quarter to twelve. Sighing, he knew he and Chad had already wasted half of the day just by sleeping. Eh, that's what college students do, right? Pushing back his sheets and taking a sidelong glance at the clock to make sure he didn't have anything better to do that day, he took a double take at the event penciled in. Yawning, Troy took a few strides towards the vibrating door as the yelling and the banging continued. He yanked the door open angrily, shooting out an annoyed, "What?"

"Troy Alexander Bolton," Lucille Bolton frowned. "Is that _any_ way to treat your mother?"

Troy's eyes widened and he quickly shut the door. "One sec, Ma."

"Chad!" He hissed and the bushy-haired boy nearly jumped six feet in the air.

"What? What's going on? What's wrong?"

"My parents are here!" He shouted frantically and the two boys were in frenzy.

Chad hopped out of bed, throwing his sheets together and placing his pillows on the bed accordingly as Troy hurried to the same. They tore off their loungewear and pajamas, shoving their legs into jeans and pulling nicer shirts onto their built torsos. Troy and Chad each quickly applied deodorant and cologne, ran their fingers through their hair and tried desperately to make it look as if they hadn't just woken up. After making themselves look presentable, they shoved dirty laundry that had previously occupied the floor into their respective laundry bags and put away leftover snacks and drinks. Once they were satisfied, they shared a curt nod and Troy went to the door again.

He opened his arms to his family. "Mom!"

"Don't distract me from the fact that you and your room weren't fit to be seen," She frowned. "Are you honestly living in a pigsty, Troy?"

"Mom, he's a teenage boy. What do you expect?" The middle Bolton child put in, grinning at her little brother.

"Cass!" Troy's eyes widened in surprise. "I didn't know you were coming!"

"Yeah, I got the weekend off, surprisingly," twenty-two-year-old Cassandra Bolton replied. "Are you going to let us in?"

"Yeah come on," His oldest sister called from the hallway. "Let us see this dorm!"

"Care?" Troy uttered in shock. "You're here too?"

"Of course!" twenty-six-year-old Caroline Bolton nodded. "How could I miss this?"

"I tried to talk her out of it," Jack Bolton sighed as they crossed the threshold of his son's room. "I mean, look at her."

It was true; Caroline Bolton- well, O'Malley _technically_- had married the previous year and was now seven months pregnant with her first child. But still, she insisted on visiting her little brother, who she didn't get to see too often. "Oh shush, Dad. Emma's not coming until mid-December. We're all good."

"Oh, no shit?" Troy uttered. "You found out it's a girl?"

"Yeah!" Caroline grinned excitedly. "Last week! Oh my God, Nathan and I are _so_ excited! He says hi, by the way."

Troy smiled back. He loved his brother-in-law like he was his own blood. Nathan O'Malley treated his sister with the love and respect she deserved and got along great with his parents and himself. Cassandra's boyfriend was another story. Troy hated him. But that was a story for a different time. The four other Boltons conversed and caught up with Troy and Chad, learning about how basketball was going, the content of their courses, and of the new friends each of them had made. At the mention of friends, Troy blushed, thinking automatically of Gabriella and the dream he had to tear himself from. Chad shot him an odd glance, but then seemed to understand.

Cassandra, closer in age to Troy and therefore the sister who loved to torment, decided to call him out on it. "So… Do you have a girlfriend yet?"

"Yes," Chad answered smugly and Troy rolled his eyes.

"Don't be immature," He hissed and to his sister her shot her a glare. "No. I met a few really nice girls, but we're just friends."

"Really?" Cassandra eyed him. "So this means you're over-"

"Cassie? Necessary, really?" Caroline, not as close in age to Troy and therefore the caring, motherly-type sister, shot Cassandra a look. "Leave him alone."

Troy shot her a grateful look as a few knocks on the door sounded. "I'll get it."

"No, I will!" Chad jumped up gleefully. "I know who it is!"

David and Maya Danforth entered the room, embracing their son excitedly with hugs and kisses, which he tried desperately to avoid. "My son! How's everything going?"

"Chad!" Maya nearly shrieked. "This place is _disgusting!_"

Lucille Bolton chuckled. "Don't I know it, Maya. It's stuffy in here, there's food and clothes everywhere, they're going to get mold!"

Troy and Chad shared a glance. College was much better _without_ parents.

* * *

Gabriella woke up that Saturday morning extremely excited to see her mother. She made her bed merrily, dressed in a clean pair of jeans and a dressy top, curled her hair, and put on real makeup, as opposed to the eyeliner and mascara she had reduced her everyday wear to. She yanked open the curtains to let the sunshine in and straightened up the room, putting away books, papers, and pencils from her schoolwork the night before. She even borrowed a vacuum from the front desk and was surprised that even as she vacuumed the entire room, Sharpay didn't wake.

And then she realized Sharpay was not in the room.

It had taken her quite a long time to realize this and she stopped to laugh at herself, in spite of the situation. There was a note addressed to her on Sharpay's white board reading, _Went to pick up my parents at the airport. Be back around eleven thirty! XOXO!_ Giggling, Gabriella shook her head at her own stupidity- how could she _not_ have heard her roommate leave that morning? Taking a quick glance at the clock and noting it was nearing eleven, Gabriella paused to check her cell phone for a message from her mother, indicating her whereabouts. Before she could press a single button, there was a knock on her door.

"Gabby!" Maria Montez shouted excitedly the moment the door was opened, her daughter revealed wearing a slim-fitting pair of jeans and a Syracuse t-shirt. "Oh honey, it's _so_ good to see you!"

"Mom!" Gabriella shot back just as animatedly as she led her mother into the room, closed the door, and enveloped her in a hug. "I'm so glad you're here! I missed you!"

"I missed you too," Maria sighed, kissing her daughter's hair as tears came to her eyes. "So, _so_ much. It's so lonely at home without you."

Gabriella frowned. "I don't want you to be lonely."

"It comes with the territory," Maria shrugged. "Things have gotten a lot better since the adoption, though."

"The adoption?" Her daughter's face wore a look of confusion.

"I didn't tell you about Nina?" Maria asked and Gabriella shook her head furiously. "Oh! I can't believe I forgot!"

Gabriella bit her lip. Her mother was _adopting?_ She didn't mean to be cruel, but her mother certainly wasn't on the young end of the spectrum. "How… old is she?"

"Six weeks," Maria grinned as she brought up a photo on her iPhone. Gabriella's eyes grew twice their normal size. An _infant?_ "Here! Look how gorgeous she is!"

Gabriella inwardly sighed in relief as she peered down at the beautiful furry gray face of a kitten. She had a tiny black button nose and bright blue eyes; like Troy's, Gabriella instantly thought, and blushed. "Aw, she's adorable! Where did you get her?"

"Believe it or not, Mrs. Paulsen's cat had kittens _again_, so she sold Nina to me for only one hundred dollars. That's such a bargain, isn't it?"

Gabriella had to shrug because, honestly, she wasn't a regular participant in pet trade. "Well she's really cute. I can't wait to meet her."

"She'll love you," Maria insisted and the glanced around curiously. "So, anything new here? Where's Sharpay?"

"Her parents are flying into the airport, so she took a cab to pick them up, I think," Gabriella mused. "So there's a barbeque on the Quad in a half hour, I think. We could go, if you want, and meet up with some of my friends?"

"Absolutely!" Maria smiled brightly. "I would love to meet your friends!"

They chatted quickly and easily about Gabriella's classes and Maria listened intriguingly about Sharpay, Taylor, Chad, Kelsi, Zeke, Aaron and last but most certainly not least, Troy. There was a certain sparkle in her eyes as she spoke of the new friends she'd acquired and Maria silently thanked God that she had come out her shell long enough and easily enough to make friends. From the sound of each of their personalities, they sounded like very nice people. A moment or two later, a soft knock on the door sounded and the knob twisted slightly, the door jarring open.

"Hey," Sharpay greeted, taking the lead as she entered the room.

"Hey," Gabriella repeated, eager to meet the eccentric blonde's parents.

"Hi Sharpay, how are you?" Maria smiled politely and the blonde grinned.

"Fine, thanks," She grinned back. "Okay, this is my roommate Gabriella and her Mom. Gabriella and Ms. Montez, this is Mother and Daddy."

"It certainly is a pleasure," The woman smiled, extending her freshly manicured hand towards Gabriella and Maria to shake. She was dressed in a black and white dress from H&M, cinched at the waist with a chunky black belt and the first few buttons undone, revealing a black pearl necklace. She had black stilettos upon her feet and a small wicker hat- complete with a black sash to match the outfit's motif- atop her head. "My name is Charlotte. It's lovely to finally meet you."

"Vance," Mr. Evans addressed the Montez women. He was clothed in a tan dress suit, his tie green and white pin-striped. His shoes must have been some kind of foreign brand, maybe English, maybe Italian. He took a turn to kiss Gabriella and Maria Montez's hands. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

Maria shared a look with her daughter. "It's very nice to meet you too."

"Oh Vance, don't shut the door," Charlotte warned. "Ryan should be on his way up."

"He had to stop in the lobby to use the bathroom," Vance explained to the Montez women. "It was such a long flight!"

"Daddy," Sharpay chuckled. "Ryan came from New York City. It's not that far away."

"And he took a bus," Charlotte mused. "Vance, I think your memory's failing you!"

The two shared a laugh as Gabriella and Maria shared yet another glance. They were becoming masters at the unspoken word. Speaking up, Gabriella addressed Sharpay. "Your brother came too?"

"He has this entire week off for Fall Break," Sharpay scowled. "Lucky him. _We_ don't get a Fall Break."

As if on cue, a soft knock on the door signified that the other Evans twin had arrived. He quietly opened the door and let himself in, introducing himself to Maria and Gabriella and taking a moment to glance around the room pensively. He wore a pair of light denim blue jeans and a striped polo, a small newsboy cap upon his head. Gabriella watched the way her interacted with his father as his mother looked on fondly and glanced at the effect this was having on Sharpay. The blonde was, no doubt, scowling in envy, but Gabriella wasn't sure if it was because she was jealous of Ryan's attendance at Julliard or the attention he was getting from their parents.

Gabriella always said she never wanted multiples. How could you possibly give them the same amount of attention?

After their conversation filled with idle chatter, Gabriella and Sharpay led their parents out of the building and towards the Quad, where the Parents' Welcome barbeque was taking place. Hanging back towards Ryan's place in the group, with Sharpay effectively taking the lead and pointing out different buildings to her parents and Maria, Gabriella poked his shoulder. "Hey. What's her deal?"

Ryan chuckled. "You'll eventually get used to her. See… She got _everything_ she wanted in high school- the friends, the guys, the lead in every musical and I always had to follow and be her puppy dog. The one thing she didn't get? The acceptance letter to Julliard. I did and she's been pissed off at me ever since."

"She has to know that Julliard is a crazy-competitive school," Gabriella pointed out, but Ryan shook his head.

"She knows, but since she's always gotten everything, she wasn't used to people saying no," He explained. "She applied for musical theater; I applied for dance. I don't think she realized there could be a no for her. I feel bad, I guess."

"Don't," Gabriella shrugged. "She's really happy here, no matter what she says. Apparently the VPA program here is amazing."

"Well good. She's my sister and I don't want her to be unhappy," Ryan said and Gabriella smiled. "So what's your major?"

"Early Childhood Education," Gabriella informed him and Ryan nodded understandingly.

"Oh, okay. We almost have the same major," Ryan chuckled at Gabriella's confused glance.

"Except that I cannot dance to save my life."

"Well maybe, but we're both educating, whether it be information or dance," Ryan explained and Gabriella had to agree.

When they finally arrived, they noted that the Quad was already full of parents, grandparents, siblings and aunts and uncles, congregating, conversing, and enjoying the not-so-healthy free food the University offered. Gabriella was glancing quickly around for Troy, Chad, Taylor- anyone she recognized at all, but could not seem to spot a single soul. After a moment, she received a text from Chad, reading, _I can see you. Tell Blondie to turn around_. Instead of passing the message along to Sharpay, Gabriella whipped her head around, turning a complete three hundred and sixty degrees before typing back a frantic message, her fingers flying across the keyboard. _Where? I don't see you!_

"Montez," The cool voice of Chad Danforth broke through just as she hit 'send.' "I said behind _Blondie_, not you!"

"Well! She was busy," Gabriella offered feebly. "Mom, this is my friend Chad Danforth. Chad, this is my Mom."

"Very nice to meet you, Chad," Maria smiled as Chad nodded his agreement.

"You too, Ms. Montez," Chad grinned, introducing the rest of the group to his parents and then doing a double take at the sight of another Evans spawn. "Oh no shit, Sharpay you didn't say you have a brother!"

"Twin, actually, and wow, Shar. Thanks," Ryan chuckled and Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Hi, I'm Ryan."

"Ryan? I'm surprised they didn't name you Schnauzer, or something," Chad joked and Gabriella gasped, smacking his arm. "Ow! What the fuck?"

"His parents are _right there_," Gabriella hissed. "Watch what you say!"

But Ryan chuckled. "Nah, it's okay. Lucky for me, I was born _before_ Sharpay, so our parents saved all their creativity for her."

Sharpay shot her brother an icy glare. "Shut the fuck up."

Gabriella shook her head, a smile on her face. "So do you know where Troy or Taylor are?"

"Troy's on his way with his family. Care-Bear had to use the bathroom," He explained and Gabriella wore a look of confusion. "That's his oldest sister. She's pregnant."

"Oh," Gabriella nodded understandingly. "What about Tay?"

"Spoken for," Taylor called out, her parents in tow. "How is everyone? These are my parents Thomas and Tanya. My sister Tara's still in school, obviously."

Gabriella had to chuckle at Taylor's no-nonsense introduction. "Very nice to meet you both."

A couple of moments passed before Kelsi Neilson joined the group, her short, artistic-looking parents following closely behind. Her eyes were on the ground as she introduced her parents to her friends and vice versa and shook hands with the other relatives weakly, shyly. Only when Sharpay introduced her own family did Kelsi dare to glance up at the group and felt her heart rate increase as she made eye contact with Sharpay's brother. He had the most intense green eyes she had ever seen and he was staring at her with the same intensity he was looking at her. Biting her lip, she glanced away as a blush crept its way up her neck, bringing a flush of color to her cheeks. A moment later, she snuck a glance at Ryan, only to find him still captivated by her beauty, smiling complacently at her.

"What a refreshingly lovely group of friends you have, princess," Vance Evans remarked, pressing a kiss to her temple. "You clearly have chosen such fantastic friends."

"Thanks Daddy!" Sharpay squealed excitedly at the approval.

"Oh your friends are so wonderful, kitten, just wonderful!" Charlotte Evans agreed and then clapped excitedly at the prospect of a new idea, the way Sharpay sometimes did when she got too elated. "Oh! I just thought of such a magnificent idea! You all should come spend spring break at our beach house!"

Chad's eyes widened. "You have a beach house?"

"Of course," Sharpay nodded. "And a country club, too."

"I'm in!" He shouted, slinging an arm around Sharpay's shoulders. "You know, you really are my best friend. You know that, right?"

"Whatever, Chad," Sharpay wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"You don't have to give us definite answers right now," Charlotte informed the teenagers. "But you must consider it! I insist!"

"Thank you so much," Gabriella grinned. "I would love to."

"We'll have to see what's going on," Taylor responded, sharing an oblong glance with her parents, who nodded. "But I would like to come too!"

"Sounds like fun," Kelsi spoke up meekly and Ryan smiled.

"I would love for you to come," He shared and she blushed furiously, glancing back down at her ballet flats.

At that moment, Gabriella felt her cell phone vibrate with a simple text from Troy. _Where?_ She giggled, shaking her head at their lack of need for further words as she typed back, _In between HBC and Hendricks_. She silently watched the conversation between her mother, Taylor's parents, and Chad's parents and her eyes shifted towards Sharpay and Kelsi's parents conversing as well. Off to the side, her friends stood engaged in discussion, not wanting to be part of parental talk. Gabriella grinned, silently thanking God for giving her friends like these. Breaking the silence was her phone vibrating again, the short message reading, _See you. Spotted Chad's hair first_. Giggling, she turned around to meet the cool blue eyes of Troy Bolton.

"Found you," He grinned and she nodded eagerly.

"That you did," Gabriella responded, eyeing his family curiously just as the tall sandy-haired girl behind him playfully punched his arm.

"Troy! Aren't you going to introduce us?"

"I was getting to that, Cass," He rolled his eyes. "Obnoxiously invasive family of mine, this is Gabriella Montez. Gabriella, this is-"

"_Not_ obnoxiously invasive Cassandra," Cassandra introduced herself. "Nice to meet you."

"You too," Gabriella giggled as she cut Troy off, who sent her a mock glare.

"Hi, I'm Caroline," Troy's eldest sister grinned, taking the time to shake Gabriella's hand. "I'm glad to meet you too!"

"Nice to meet you," Gabriella grinned, taking notice of her pregnant belly. "Congratulations, by the way. When are you due?"

"Thank you so much," Caroline gushed. "Middle of December, actually. My husband and I cannot wait!"

"Hi Gabriella, nice to meet you," Jack shook hands firmly, Gabriella noted and she met his eyes with her own.

"You too," She bit her lip, turning to the final member of Troy's family. "Nice to meet you as well, Mrs. Bolton."

But Lucille attacked her with a hug and when she pulled back to a very shocked Gabriella, she chuckled. "I am thrilled to meet you, Gabriella. And, please, my name is Lucille! You don't have to call me Mrs. Bolton!"

"O-Okay!" Gabriella stated somewhat nervously. "Let me go find my Mom…"

A little while after the introductions between families had been made, Troy and Gabriella stepped out to let conversation happen. Troy chuckled, shaking his head as Gabriella shot him an amused glance. "What?"

"I'm sorry about my family," He continued to laugh. "If there's one thing I've learned growing up, it's that their actions are unpredictable."

"No, your family is so nice. Your sisters seem really cool," Gabriella remarked and Troy snorted.

"Caroline? Yeah, she's great. Cassie? Eh, she has her moments when she can be great," Troy told her and Gabriella's face grew pensive. "What? What's that look for?"

"Nothing, it's just… Did you ever think about how you're the only one without the 'C' name?"

Troy laughed. "Well my Mom likes symmetry- she's a Math teacher, actually- and my name was _supposed_ to be Carter. Gross, isn't it?"

"No, it sounds… antique." Gabriella bit her lip. "Not gross, just old."

"Yeah, it's my grandfather's name," Troy explained. "Anyway, that was supposed to be my name, but then I was born and they were like, 'Wow. He sure as _hell_ does not look like a Carter.' So instead of being named after my grandfather, I was named after the Brad Pitt movie my Mom was watching the night before."

Giggling, Gabriella said, "Well is your middle name Carter, at least?"

"Nope; it's Alexander. Go figure," Troy joined in her laughter. "Carter got thrown right into the trash."

"Well if it makes you feel any better, I was named after the jockey on my father's favorite horse," Gabriella giggled. "My Dad always used to tell me, 'She was remarkable, Gabby. The best in the _whole_ town! You're lucky to have her name. You're lucky to have something in common with someone so _astounding!_' I never even saw her race, but wherever she is now, she has a namesake she doesn't know about."

"Oh man," Troy stated as his laughter subsided. "Our parents are the most un-creative people on the planet."

"I totally agree," She giggled. "Or, they're _too_ creative. One or the other."

"That could also be true," He grinned but blanched when he heard Charlotte Evans's cackling laughter. "So what do you think of Ice Princess's parents? A little… much, don't you think?"

"Just a bit," Gabriella affirmed. "But I'd be nice, because they're offering us their beach house to stay in during winter break."

"They are?" Troy's eyes proliferated. "Sweet! I take back what I said. They are very, _very_ generous and caring people."

"Sure they are," She shook her head, smiling brightly. "Do you really believe that or are you just trying to stay on their good side?"

"Gabriella, _look_ at them. I don't think they have a bad side," He informed her and she giggled. He shuffled around awkwardly after that, bringing up a subject that he didn't honestly want to talk about, but figuring he'd be a good friend and ask. "So… Where's Aaron and his parents? Isn't your Mom going to want to meet him?"

Gabriella pulled a face that told Troy this was a topic _she_ didn't want to broach either. "I don't really think we're at that stage yet."

"Really? Why not?" He wondered curiously, silently thanking his lucky stars for her admission.

"I don't know," She shrugged, glancing downward at the blades of grass beneath her feet. "I really like him, but he's kind of temperamental. He'll either be really distant or he'll text me nonstop all day. Actually, it's been a lot of the latter, lately. We've been talking a lot."

"And that's a good thing?" Troy tested the waters and Gabriella unexpectedly chuckled.

"That's a _very_ good thing," She nodded. "I feel like I know what he wants, but at times, I'm still not sure. Ugh! I can't understand guys!"

"Hey, we're not that complex!" Troy defended and Gabriella rolled her eyes playfully. "No really, I'm sure he really likes you. He wouldn't be texting you nonstop if he didn't."

"I thought so," Gabriella smiled. "Do you think he'll ever… _do_ anything about it?"

"He should," Troy chuckled. "He's missing out."

Gabriella blushed slightly. Why did that always keep happening around him? "Thanks, Troy."

"Hey, no problem," He grinned. "What are friends for?"

Gabriella smiled half-heartedly. "Right."

If she knew that she and Troy were just friends, why did she have a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach?


	7. Ernie Davis Hall

**Holy crap guys. I wanna die. Has anyone had a stomach virus for more than a few days? Because I've been feeling shitty for an entire week and it is NOT going away. Someone help me, I swear to God. I'm going crazy and I'm so SICK of being sick. Any suggestions? Yes? No? Maybe so? I will take them just as graciously as I'll welcome your reviews! I hope I'll feel better soon- it's freaking finals week, for goodness sake. Anyway, thank you very much for your reviews for the last chapter! I love you all!**

**I do not own nor am I affiliated with Syracuse University, High School Musical, or Carrie Underwood. By the way, I understand the lyrics aren't in the right order. Think of it as a song cut. ;)**

* * *

Bleeding Orange

Chapter Seven: Ernie Davis Hall

…

"_Right now, he's probably slow-dancing with a bleach-blonde tramp  
And she's probably getting frisky  
Right now, he's probably buying her some fruity little drink  
_'_Cause she can't shoot whiskey  
Right now, she's probably saying, "I'm drunk!"  
And he's a-thinking that's gonna get lucky…"_

_**"**_**_Before He Cheats_**_**," **Carrie Underwood_

…

Two weeks after Parents' Weekend, the Syracuse Orangemen battled the Pittsburgh Panthers in their homecoming football game, but unfortunately, they were brutally defeated at a score of forty-five to fourteen. Despite their loss, everyone on the campus had had a great time during Homecoming week, participating in the various Orange Central activities, like barbeques and dance showcases that took place in the Dome. The morning of homecoming there had been a parade at ten in the morning, all down University Place, but no students had actually been awake to see it.

October passed by quickly and soon, Halloween was in the horizon. Gabriella couldn't figure out why Halloween was such a big deal in college- it was _stupidest_ holiday and all people did was dress up as a different persona each night and attend a variety of different parties. What made that any different from any other weekend? Sharpay had gone out Thursday night, Friday night, and Saturday night as Marilyn Monroe, Roxie Hart, and a naughty secretary, and one of the nights hadn't come back to her dorm. The next day, at around two in the afternoon, she had her walk of shame entrance, a sheepish, hung-over grin on her face as Gabriella threw up her hands in defense, uttering, "I see nothing, I hear nothing, I _know_ nothing."

By now it was November and the temperatures were beginning to change drastically. Gone were the days of wearing short-sleeved shirts and light fall jackets; instead they were replaced by sweaters, sweatshirts, and heavy winter coats. The Sun had become increasingly less present in the sky, replaced by a thick gray mass of clouds that Syracuse would see from November until April. Winter was setting in and it was prepared to take under anyone who was unprepared for its vengeance.

Along with the beginning of winter were the intensifying basketball practices for Troy and Chad. They spent three hours in the gym every night after school and nearly all day, every day, each weekend. Their first game was Tuesday November second against Kutztown State, which they easily won, and then that following Tuesday against LeMoyne, which was another easy win. Their real season opener was that Friday against Northern Iowa- yes, another blowout win. Syracuse basketball was thousands of times better than it football team, so the games had been much busier but much more fun. They were currently at a record of 4-0 and were ready to begin the season with a bang.

It was currently November nineteenth, a mere ten-fifteen in the morning on a Friday, and Gabriella was on MySlice- the student portion of the Syracuse website- and staring at the clock. It was her day to register for her spring classes and she had all of them lined up and matching perfectly. Her eyes were fixated on the clock as she waited for her registration time to occur- ten-thirty a.m. There was still a hold on her account until then and she watched anxiously and impatiently as the numbers tediously changed. _10:16. 10:17. 10:18._

"Ever heard the phrase, 'A watched pot never boils'?" Sharpay asked, entering the room from a bathroom break.

_10:21. 10:22. 10:23._ "I'm aware of it, yes," Gabriella shot back, not taking her eyes off of the clock and her mouse poised about the glowing 'Enroll' button. "I can't help it. I'll be so pissed if any of my classes don't get into my schedule. I don't have a backup!"

"Relax! Everything will work out fine," Sharpay droned in a blasé tone, using her fingers to rake her hair into a ponytail.

"Yeah, okay, Miss 'I Got Into Every Class I Wanted'. I only _hope_ to be that lucky," She sighed. _10:26. 10:27. 10:28._ "Okay, two more minutes. I can do this… We're almost there."

"Hurry up. We're going to be late."

Gabriella glared at her. "You can't rush registration!"

The clock finally switched to 10:30 and Gabriella immediately checked each of the boxes next to her desired classes and hit 'Enroll.' The cursor spun, signifying that her current process was loading, and she stared at the screen, barely breathing, barely moving, barely thinking as she waited for the results. After the five to ten second agonizing wait, the screen popped up with a short message of congratulations and thanks- she had just successfully enrolled in classes for her spring semester of freshman year.

"Yes! I'm in!" Gabriella jumped up and accepted the high-five Sharpay aimed at her. "Okay, phew! That stress is over. Let me just change quickly and then we can go."

"Wait, I thought you were already dressed? You're not wearing that?" Sharpay questioned and Gabriella rolled her eyes.

"I'm in my _pajamas_," She stated as if it were obvious and began to change into a tank top and a pair of sweatpants. "Honestly."

Along with walking up and down the massive hill that Booth Hall, their residence hall, was located on, Sharpay had also joined a Pilates and a Zumba class and had decided to drag Gabriella and Taylor along with her. Kelsi, although she most likely would have enjoyed the exercise, had class at the same time and was not able to attend. Instead, Sharpay and Gabriella crossed the street and met Taylor outside of Ernie Davis Hall, entering and immediately heading to the Fitness Center, their Zumba class meeting in the large dance studio in the back of the hall. Ernie Davis was a million things in one; not only was it a dining hall, but it had a fully-equipped gym, convenience store, classrooms, and to top it all off, it was also a residence hall. Amazing what architecture can do, isn't it?

The instructor entered the room and greeted the girls hurriedly, asking them to drop off their things and to get into the first position to stretch. Sharpay reached up to tighten her hair tie around her blonde mass of curls and nudged Gabriella. "I think someone's looking for you."

Gabriella shot her friend an odd look as she glanced out the window, her eyes widening in shock and excitement at the presence of Aaron. "Oh my God. What's he doing here?"

"Didn't you know? He goes here too," Sharpay stated sarcastically, her right arm reaching over her body in a stretch.

"Bitch has some jealousy issues," Taylor rolled her eyes at the blonde and received an indignant, 'Hey!' To Gabriella, she encouraged, "Go find out!"

Gabriella excused herself from the class, citing a need to use the bathroom, and Taylor chuckled, shaking her head as she and the class began jumping jacks. "She's so confused; it's almost funny."

"Well, you know what they say: You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink," Sharpay sighed. "She needs our help, Taylor. She's fucking blind."

"She's not blind. I mean it's obvious Aaron likes her, there's no questioning it-" Taylor defended and Sharpay shook her head adamantly.

"No, she knows _that_. But she doesn't realize Bolton likes her. The boy's as subtle as a Samurai sword." Sharpay rolled her eyes. "If you ask me, as everyone _should_, Aaron's a better catch. I mean, would you rather date a football player or a basketball player?"

Taylor scrunched up her nose and shook her head. "Neither. I'm not a sports fan, but if Gabriella is, then…"

Sharpay narrowed her eyes. "You're one to talk, McKessie. I've seen the way Danforth looks at you. He is _this close_ to jumping you."

"Chad?" Taylor squeaked as if she'd never heard the name before. "No he's not."

"Oh, not you too! And you want to help Gabriella? It'll be like the blind leading the blind!" Sharpay sighed. "The boy's in love. You need to clear up the haze you and Gabriella are under and wake up and smell the freaking roses."

"You're on a roll with these metaphors and idioms today, aren't you, Shar?" Taylor chuckled, focusing back on the class.

"Hey, I'm pretty intelligent if I do say so myself." Sharpay grinned. "Not all of us are English majors like you, but I still have a few good sayings up my sleeve."

Taylor stared at her. "I'm majoring in pre-law."

"What's the difference?" Sharpay explicated, not taking an eye off the instructor. "Either one of you can talk your way out of anything."

Taylor paused before continuing her exercise, shaking her head slowly. "You have to stop being right all the time. It's upsetting the balance and it's starting to freak me out."

Meanwhile, Gabriella had momentarily exited the exercise studio and weight room to meet Aaron outside; not too quickly, for she did not want to seem eager, but not too slowly either. She didn't want him to think she didn't care. Straightening her tank top and adjusting the waistband of her sweatpants, Gabriella tried to make herself as presentable as she could with what she had; which, honestly, wasn't much. She yanked the glass door open and met him on the sidewalk, her eyes gleaming with joy as he grinned at her.

"Hi Gabriella," Aaron immediately greeted her with a hug which she gratefully accepted. "How's everything going?"

"Good," She pulled back, looking him in the eye and truly thrilled to see the same look she was giving him was being reciprocated. "What's going on?"

"Oh I just got out of class and I wanted to know if you wanted to have lunch," Aaron asked, glancing around. "I was on my way to your dorm but I just realized you were here. I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"No. Well, kinda," Gabriella gestured back towards the gym. "I have Zumba right now."

"Zumba?" Aaron inquired, his face donning a confused visage.

"Yeah, it's a combination of dance and aerobics. Sharpay's idea," Gabriella explained. "Anyway, it'll be over in about forty-five minutes. Do you want to have lunch in like an hour? I mean, if you're hungry now, that's okay. I just-"

"Gabriella," Aaron chuckled. "It's okay. I don't mind waiting. I'll meet you in front of Ernie in an hour?"

"Yeah, okay," Gabriella smiled, ignoring the crimson shade her cheeks were probably showing. "See you later."

"Definitely," Aaron grinned, heading back down the hill as Gabriella cursed her Zumba class and her stupidity and headed back inside.

* * *

"Hey! You made it!" Aaron called out to her as Gabriella descended the hill and entered Ernie Davis Hall. "I was afraid you'd be all Zumba-ed out."

"Nope! But I'm definitely hungry!" Gabriella grinned, pushing her still-damp-from-a-shower hair over her shoulder and away from her neck as they swiped their meal cards and headed into the main dining area. "Hopefully they'll have something decent to eat today."

"It's dorm food- is it ever really decent?" He asked, acquiring a tray and a set of silverware as Gabriella did the same.

Giggling, she shook her head. "I guess not."

Gabriella chose a nice healthy lunch consisting of carrot and celery sticks, a cluster of grapes, and a grilled cheese sandwich while Aaron decided on a cheeseburger and French fries, laughing upon the realization that he had chosen a plate full of grease. They chose drinks and found a table near the back of the dining hall, right by the window, where they could eat in peace, talk, and even people watch if conversation dulled. Gabriella dipped a carrot in ranch dressing before popping it into her mouth, chewing slowly, pensively, as Aaron smiled.

"What'cha thinkin' about?" He asked and she shook her head.

"Nothing really," She blushed, having been caught in the act. "Just glad I got into all the classes I wanted next semester. And I'm kind of worried about the finals I have for this one."

"Ah, finals. They suck. But from what I've heard, you're pretty smart. I'm sure you'll be fine," Aaron encouraged. "What classes are you taking next semester?"

"Um, Spanish 202, CAS 100 because I forgot to take a writing course this semester, Anthropology 121, Linguistics 201, and ETS 152." Gabriella informed him. "Do you know anything about them?"

"Not Spanish, because I'll be taking that too," He chuckled. "I took Writing 105, not CAS 100, so I don't know what that's like. Linguistics is pretty boring, but easy. Anthropology is supposed to be really interesting, but I've never taken it. Which English class is 152?"

"Interpretation of Drama," Gabriella informed him and giggled at the disgusted look on his face. "What? You don't like plays? I love them! I'm actually taking it with my friend Troy. We took psych together this semester and we wanted to stick together, so we picked this class. I took it because I love plays; Troy took it because he's a drama queen."

She chuckled at her own joke and Aaron smirked. "Well good luck. I don't know anything about that class because I pretty much steered clear of anything English related. I hate reading."

"Really? I love it," Gabriella said. "Reading, writing, everything. English is fun."

"Maybe you should be an English major?" Aaron suggested, but Gabriella shook her head.

"Nah, I don't love it _that_ much," She counteracted. "I'd never want to give up the chance to become a teacher. It's what I've wanted to do my whole life."

"You'd make a great teacher, Ash," Aaron grinned and Gabriella donned a look of confusion.

"Ash?" She questioned and Aaron's eyes widened.

"Oh my God, Gabriella! I'm so sorry! Ugh, I do that all the time," He smacked a hand over his forehead, dragging it towards his eyes to show his shame. "Ashley's my sister. I was just talking to her on the phone before you came; she must still be on my mind. I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay," Gabriella offered him a small smile to show she honestly wasn't hurt by the confusion. "You must miss her a lot."

"I do," Aaron nodded. "She's fourteen; still in high school back at home, in Alabama."

"Aw, I'm so jealous. I'm an only child," Gabriella frowned. "Everyone always complains about their siblings and it annoys me because _some_ of us don't even know what it's like to _have_ siblings."

Aaron smiled softly. "So I take it you'll be having more than one kid in the future?"

"Definitely," Gabriella insisted adamantly. "More than one, no more than four. That's what I've always said."

Aaron chuckled. "That's a great motto."

"Thanks," She giggled. "So, anymore classes today?"

"Nope, I'm done. You?"

"I don't have classes on Fridays," Gabriella gloated slightly and Aaron groaned.

"I don't know _how_ all of you freshmen keep doing that, but I'm _insanely_ jealous. I'll have you know I'm in my third year here and I have _never_ gotten Fridays off."

"I'm very sorry," Gabriella chuckled. "But it's really nice. My roommate and I both have free Fridays. Three-day weekends all the time are pretty enjoyable."

"Lucky you," Aaron teased. "So, are you going to the football game tomorrow? Last home game of the season, technically, unless you count the one next weekend, but that's during Thanksgiving and I'm sure you're not going to cut your break short to come watch."

"Oh, yeah, we'll be there! It's at seven, right? You're playing Boston College?"

"Seven, yes, but no, we're playing UConn," Aaron corrected. "The BC game is over Thanksgiving."

"Oh, right, duh," Gabriella shook her head. "Anyway, yeah! I'll be there! Play hard and good luck!"

"Thanks," He grinned. "And actually, what are doing after the game? We're having a celebratory party at my friend's apartment after the game if you wanna come."

"Really?" Gabriella asked, her heartbeat increasing. Her first party invite? "Where?"

"It's on South. I'll text you the directions later tonight, okay? Feel free to bring whoever you want. We're partying whether we win or not," Aaron chuckled. "Think you'll come?"

"Maybe," She bit her lip, feeling slightly childish. "I've never actually been to a party before. I don't… I don't drink."

"You don't have to drink," Aaron shrugged. "Plus, it's not going to be that crazy of a party. I mean, we're not frat boys."

"True," Gabriella weighed her options before smiling. "Okay, sure. I'll come."

Aaron grinned. "Excellent. See you there."

* * *

"_Bullshit!_"

Troy Bolton rolled his eyes as Chad continued to ramble on about his failed love attempts. It was Saturday November twentieth, the day of the final football game, and he and Chad were currently walking through the Quad to get to the Carrier Dome watch the Orangemen hopefully crush the Huskies and increase their winning record. Honestly, though, Troy was having enough girl problems to last him a lifetime without having to deal with Chad's issues as well.

"…So then she's like, 'I really don't think I even have time for a relationship right now. I really want to work on my schoolwork.' Bullshit! That is such complete bullshit," Chad frowned. "I swear to God, if she ever comes around and says she likes me, I'm gonna say, 'Oh, sorry Taylor. I'm too fucking busy pretending to care about schoolwork to worry about having a relationship right now!'"

"No you won't," Troy rolled his eyes again.

Chad stopped in his tracks. "And why wouldn't I?"

"Because that would make you an asshole," Troy stated bluntly. "And as riled up as you are right now, you would never say that to her in person."

Chad fumed for a few minutes before sulking. "Damn it, I hate it when you're right."

Troy shook his head. "As I often am. You might as well just accept it."

"Ah, you're right about most things, but not everything, Hoops," Chad corrected and when Troy shot him a questioning look, he responded with, "How's your relationship going with Gabriella, Troy?"

Troy frowned. "Shut the fuck up."

"Exactly," Chad grinned triumphantly. "When are you planning on making your move, by the way?"

"The next time she _doesn't_ have a boyfriend, maybe?" Troy answered sarcastically as they entered the Dome.

"They're not even dating!" Chad shouted exasperatedly. "But they _will_ be, if you don't do something about it!"

"There's nothing to do," Troy shrugged. "I'm not going to swoop in and steal her from Aaron. He got to her first."

Chad stared at him pensively for a brief moment. "Is this about Court-?"

"Holy fucking shit," Troy whirled towards his best friend with a menacing look in his eyes. "Say _one more word_ about Courtney, and I swear you will _not_ wake up tomorrow morning!"

"Okay, okay, jeez!" Chad held up his hands. "Topic forgotten. Calm down."

But as they found their seats, settling in with their usual group of friends, Troy had to think that maybe Chad was on to something. _Was_ this about Courtney? Maybe he did feel it was too soon to start anything and that was why it was so difficult for him to make any kind of move on Gabriella. After all, your first love was always the hardest to get over, or so Caroline always told him. But at the same time, he honestly did not feel anything for Courtney. Of course it still _hurt_, but he didn't presently have any feelings for her. So shouldn't he be ready to move on?

Oh, he was _so_ confused.

In the end, the Syracuse Orange had lost viciously to the University of Connecticut Huskies, at a score of twenty-three to sixteen. But this didn't deter them; the Orangemen went by this motto: If we win, we'll party. If we lose, we'll party harder. Following the completion of the game, Gabriella invited her group of friends to the party Aaron's teammate was throwing on South Campus and she, Sharpay, Taylor and Kelsi- who was just as nervous about attending this party as Gabriella was- headed back to Booth Hall to dress and ready themselves. Once they were a step above presentable, they boarded the South Campus bus and arrived at 312.

In all honesty, it wasn't as bad as she was expecting. The entire complex was throbbing to the base of whatever tune was playing and there were only three people outside, smoking. The four girls easily sidestepped the group of upperclassmen and had to make a human chain to force their way into the apartment. Eventually, they made their way inside and found an empty corner of the room, where Gabriella checked her text messages. "Okay, I texted Aaron to say we're here, but he hasn't responded yet."

"Oh no, how will we ever know where he stands in this relationship?" Sharpay asked teasingly but stopped the moment she saw Taylor's face. "What?"

Taylor McKessie's eyes were wide with shock as she gestured towards the far wall. Kelsi Nielson gasped shortly. "Oh my God…"

Sharpay Evans glanced sharply in the direction the other two were looking and growled angrily, her brown eyes narrowing into tiny slits. "That fucking-"

"Shh!" Taylor hissed. "We can't… We can't let Gabriella see."

But, as gruesome and reckless as a car accident, they couldn't tear their eyes away. Gabriella placed her phone back in her pocket as the other three continued to stare helplessly before them. "Oh well. He'll text back eventually, right? Guys? What are you looking at?"

This snapped them out of their reverie and they whirled around, trying desperately to block her sight. "N-Nothing!"

But it was too late. Gabriella's chocolate brown eyes trailed over towards the horrific sight in front of her. A girl, maybe a sophomore, maybe a junior, was pressed up against a muscular African American boy, her shirt pushed down to rest on her waist, the hot pink lacy bra she wore beneath completely exposed. Her arms were wrapped around his neck not lazily, but forcefully, as if she physically could not be separated from him. Their lips were fused together haphazardly and if they were so publically exposed, Gabriella was sure they wouldn't have as much clothing on as they did right now.

And the African American student the blonde was heavily making out with? It was no doubt Aaron Jackson.

"Well. I guess we know where _he_ stands in this relationship." Sharpay scowled.

"Yeah," Gabriella said quietly, dejectedly. "At least now I know."


	8. Ernest Stevenson Bird Library

**Please don't throw garbage at me... I'M SO FLIPPING SORRY. Okay, but you don't want to hear an apology from me, or the excuse that I got wrapped up in finals for the first few weeks of December, then went back home and got suckered into working my entire vacation so I barely had any time off. Now I'm back at school. Yeah. I know you don't want to hear it. But I'm going to tell you anyway. =)**

**Thank you for continuing to read, even though I'm a horrible updater. I do not own nor am I affiliated with Syracuse University, High School Musical, Community, NBC, or Kate Voegele. By the way, Kate Voegele's version of "Hallelujah" is a cover. The original song was written by Leonard Cohen. Enjoy!**

* * *

Bleeding Orange

Chapter Eight: Ernest Stevenson Bird Library

...

"_Well, maybe there is a God above  
But, all I've ever learned from love  
Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew ya  
And it's not a cry that you hear at night  
It's not somebody who's seen the light  
It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah…"_

_"_**_Hallelujah_**_," Kate Voegele_

…

_Dinner at 6 at Ernie. Be there._

Thus, this was the text message that each of the members of the gang received that Sunday, November twenty-eighth, from Sharpay Evans, and if they had learned anything so far in the few months of being friends with her, they knew that they had no choice but to attend. The blonde arrived ten minutes early to secure a table for the seven friends in the glass room, the quiet dining area; even though she knew they would be anything but quiet as they relayed their Thanksgiving breaks back to one another. She smiled satisfactorily as each of the six she had texted arrived, obtained food, and sat beside her.

All, that is, but Gabriella Montez.

"Where's Gabriella?" Sharpay asked, glancing at the empty seat at the end of the table.

Chad snorted. "She's _your_ roommate. Shouldn't you know that?"

"She never texted me back," Sharpay commented, her fingers flying to her BlackBerry. "I thought she would be here by now."

"Maybe she ran into traffic on the thruway," Taylor suggested. "It's crazy busy this time of year. Everyone's traveling around for the holidays."

"I guess so. I mean, she wasn't back last time I was in the room," Sharpay bit her lip. "I'm going to text her again."

"If she's not even _in_ Syracuse, does that mean she'll miss dinner?" Kelsi asked anxiously. "I haven't talked to her in so long."

"Me either," Zeke added. "I want to know if she dumped that sorry asshole she was with."

"They were never technically dating," Troy pointed out and both Chad and Sharpay smirked. "I-I talked to her yesterday and she said she hasn't talked to him since the party."

"Is she waiting for us to do something?" Chad inquired. "Because I will _gladly_ put that douche in his place."

"Whoa, who's got you all riled up?" The soft, gracious voice of Gabriella Montez entered the conversation. She was carrying a tray of Ernie Davis's dinner specialty and took her place at the empty seat across from Troy. "Hey guys, sorry I'm late. We… My Mom and I… Anyway, what did I miss? What's going on?"

"Nothing," Taylor shrugged nonchalantly, brushing off the previous comment. "How was your break?"

"Taylor, I'm sure it was fine," Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Have you talked to the douche lord, yet?"

Gabriella's reaction mirrored Sharpay's previous one. "Oh my God, you guys. You were talking about me?"

"Uh, _yeah_." Chad deadpanned. "Troy, Zeke, and I have no problem messing with him, if you want."

"Actually, we're horrible friends," Troy commented. "We should've done it already."

"Yeah, but even though there's three of us, he's a _football player_." Zeke pointed out. "I'm thinking he can take us."

"You guys are seriously going to get in a fight with this guy?" Sharpay asked. "You should just go set his apartment on fire, or something."

"Oh yeah, that would be _brilliant_," Taylor scoffed. "Get charged with aggressive arson at eighteen."

"You guys!" Gabriella shouted overtop the group's arguments. "Relax. No one needs to fight anyone, nothing needs to be set ablaze, just _calm down._ He texted me over break but I ignored him. I don't know. I'll talk to him eventually, I just… don't want to yet."

"Fine," Sharpay shrugged as the topic was dropped. "So, who's excited for the fall musical? It's this weekend! We're putting on _The Jungle Book_ and you _all_ better be there!"

"_The Jungle Book_?" Chad questioned. "How old are we, seven?"

The blonde's eyes narrowed as Kelsi spoke up. "It's really cool though, Chad. It's not like the Disney movie at all."

"Well, I guess there's nothing else going on this weekend…"

"I'll be there," Zeke grinned at Sharpay who smirked.

"Good. You'll enjoy it; the score is inspiring, the costumes are surprisingly flattering for my combination skin…"

Zeke's smile faltered a bit, knowing he'd enjoy it for much more than those petty reasons. Meanwhile, as this unfolded, Gabriella shook her head, chuckling a bit as she began to eat her dinner. This behavior did not go unnoticed by her male companion sitting across from her, who joined in her laughter and donned a semi-confused smile, not too sure if she was laughing at the ridiculousness of Sharpay's speech or at the swift and easy change of subject.

"She's really something," Troy commented. "I feel bad for the poor sucker who has to live with her…"

"Thanks a lot," Gabriella giggled. "She's not that bad, really. She's just… a little bit much, sometimes."

"Or all the time," Troy corrected and Gabriella did not disagree. "So in all honesty, how was your break?"

"Fine." She answered curtly and Troy frowned.

"No, no, no," He shook his head adamantly. "That's the answer you gave _them_. We're best friends now, Gabriella, don't you remember? Or do I have to get you one of those cheesy necklaces where I get to keep one half and you get the other?"

She chuckled and shook her head. "I'm best friends with Taylor too!"

"Psh, Taylor cannot compare to our bond, Gabriella," Troy teased, shooting her a wink. "What's so secretive about your break? Did you find out you have a long-lost cousin? Oh! Did you witness a murder and now you're in the Witness Protection Program?"

"I have a million cousins, so if another one turned up, I probably wouldn't even notice," Gabriella grinned. "And if I was in the Witness Protection Program I couldn't tell you anyway! Honestly, my break was fine. It was good to be home and we did have a little family drama but, it's not something worth talking about."

"Oh please, family drama is _always _worth talking about," Troy insisted. "My sister's boyfriend is an asshole and got into a screaming match with my father over Thanksgiving dinner, almost made my other sister go into labor from stress, and made my mother cry."

Gabriella's eyes widened. "Oh my God. What did he do?"

"What didn't he do? He's just a douche. It's just Pete being Pete and Cassie will _never_ learn," Troy shook his head as if he were scolding her. "But yeah. Anyway, that's all the excitement for my break. I only got to go home for Thanksgiving, because Chad and I had to be back here for basketball practice. The campus was a complete ghost town."

"I can imagine," Gabriella nodded. "Does that mean you can't go home for Christmas either?"

"Not really. I mean, I get a week off, but that's it," He explained and then shrugged. "It's not that big of a deal, I guess. Although, yeah, I would like to have the whole month off like you guys do."

"I'll bet you do," She teased. "So, are you ready for the psych final?"

"Ugh, no." He responded despondently. "I'm practically failing that class as it is. Why add another horrible grade?"

"You're not failing," She rolled her eyes. "Because we do everything together and then _I_ would be failing. And I do _not_ fail things."

"Whoa, well okay then," Troy mocked. "Would Miss I-Don't-Fail-Anything-Because-I'm-Perfect like to have an intense study session this weekend?"

Giggling, she nodded. "Sure. Saturday? In Bird?"

"Sounds good to me. Let's meet at noon. I'll bring bagels," Troy grinned and to Gabriella's interested look, shrugged. "I may or may not know a good bakery on South campus."

"Okay," She smiled genuinely. "It's a date, then."

"Yeah," He agreed, trying not to get _too_ excited. "A date."

* * *

As the week went on and their first semester wound to a close, the group of friends had to get used to the Syracuse winter that was ahead in store for them. November was fading into December, and with it, brought an onslaught of freezing wind, icy temperatures, and lake-effect snow. It was getting harder and harder to wake up in the morning and will themselves to go to class, especially since some of the members of the group, i.e. Zeke and Sharpay, were not used to snow, let alone the buckets upon buckets that Syracuse received. But the campus was gorgeous blanketed beneath the soft white crystals; each building looked majestic and mysterious and watching the snowfall from the windows of their classrooms and dorms was a marvelous experience.

Walking in this snowfall, however, was not.

Tuesday November 30th the Syracuse Orange were set to battle Cornell in basketball, but everyone knew it would be an easy win. With their friends cheering them on in the stands, Chad and Troy suited up in the locker room, ready to do all they could to beat Cornell and bring Syracuse another victory. Chad stuffed his feet into his sneakers, resting one foot on the bench in front of him and reaching down to tie the laces as his best friend mirrored him and did the same. He smirked and Troy shot him and odd glance. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing. Just thinking about this weekend. You excited?"

"Um… sure?"

"You know, Simmons's party, _The Jungle Book_," Chad trailed off. "Your date with Gabriella…"

"It's not a date. We're studying for psychology," Troy corrected. "Nice try."

"Yeah but you're totally _in_ now, man," Chad clapped his friend on the back, using him for support to switch feet. "The douche is out of the picture and you can totally swoop in and… and… I don't know. Make a move."

Troy shook his head. "Taking advantage of someone who is emotionally vulnerable is worse than doing it to someone who's drunk."

Chad chuckled. "Your point being…?"

"Because _they_ will remember it afterwards," Troy explained. "I don't know what's going to happen with us, or if anything ever will, but right now, we need to focus on studying for psych because I'm going to fail if we don't."

Chad stared at his friend before shaking his head. "You're way too mature for your age. You know that normal guys would've given up by now and moved on, right? You must really like her."

"I do," He stated as calmly and nonchalantly as possible. "Which is why we're going to wait this out, okay? And we're going to stop fucking talking about this all the fucking time. Can't we just go win this game?"

"Sure," Chad held his hands up in defense. Just as they were entering the Dome to screaming and cheering fans, he shouted, "We can talk about your date with Gabriella later."

"It's _not_ a fucking date!" Troy responded as Chad laughed.

… Or was it?

Later that week, on Thursday December 2nd, Gabriella, Taylor, and Kelsi were hanging out in the former's room, half-studying for finals and half-watching _Community_ on NBC. Kelsi was hardly paying attention to her Musical Theory notes and Taylor and Gabriella couldn't really stay focused on Astronomy, however. They were much more interested in watching the drunken bar scene unfold on the screen as Troy Barnes, played by the very attractive and very talented Donald Glover, decided not to drink on his twenty-first birthday and instead got behind the wheel to drive his friends home safely.

"_Oh… This is my car? Don't crash it._"

"_I'm not going to crash it!_"

"_Crash it, Troy._"

"_Go to sleep, Britta, go to sleep._"

"_Crash his car, Troy!_"

"_This seems like a really dark chapter in our group's story._"

"_Go to sleep, Abed._"

"_Cool._"

"I love Abed," Kelsi announced randomly. "I mean, he's so… odd. But he holds the group together, I think. As weird as he is, I feel like he's the only normal one."

"None of them are normal, though, that's why the show is so entertaining," Gabriella pointed out. "They're this little group of seven misfits. It's awesome."

"Yeah I love this show, but I have two problems with it." Taylor said as the Troy onscreen brought the car to a screeching halt. "I don't like Señor Chang because he's really annoying. And I don't like this obsession the writers have with Jeff and Annie. Ew! She's like eighteen and he's… Well I don't know, but definitely over thirty!"

Gabriella laughed. "I'm going to have to agree with you there. I don't know who I want Jeff to be with, because right now I feel like he's too much of a tool to handle a real relationship. But I really like him, regardless. He doesn't need a relationship right now."

"I like all the ones where they do crazy stuff, like paintball and turning into zombies. They're really-what the hell?" Taylor stopped mid-sentence as scene changed from Annie's apartment back to Jeff's car, where he and Britta were now making out heavily. "Well okay then."

Giggling, Gabriella shook her head. "I swear the writers either can't make up their mind about wanting Jeff with Annie or Jeff with Britta, or they know what's going to happen and they just like teasing us about it."

"_Okay… I flew off the handle earlier. I apologize._"

"… _They were making out._"

"_Abed!_"

"_Why the hell would you say that?_"

"_Why would you do it in front of me? I'm not a coat rack._"

"That part must've been really awkward to film," Kelsi noted. "Mostly for him, because those two are just going at it."

At that moment, Sharpay entered the room, bags and books in tow. "Hey, what's going on? What are you guys watching?"

"_Community_, what else?" Taylor teased. "It's Thursday."

"Hey! You watched it without me?" Sharpay frowned. "What the hell?"

"I'll fill you in," Gabriella rolled her eyes. "It's Troy's twenty-first birthday, they all go to a bar, Annie pretends to be from Texas, Pierce gets his wheelchair stuck in the doorway, Shirley reveals her alcoholic past, Abed meets a guy with the same interests at him but who actually turns out to be gay, and Jeff and Britta spend the entire night arguing about which bar is cooler and it ends up being the same bar."

"And then they had a drunken make out session, and honestly, who knows what these two are doing?" Taylor continued as they watched Abed stretch one hundred and fifty-seven t-shirts over Troy's head.

"Thank you, but I'll just watch online," Sharpay shrugged. "I missed all the jokes. Why is Annie suddenly from Texas? And what the hell are Jeff and Britta doing making out?"

"Yeah, maybe you do need to watch it," Gabriella grinned. "How was class?"

"Fucking stupid," Sharpay growled. "My professor canceled our final exam, but instead of that she wants an eight-page paper due next week. Well gee, thanks. Because your class is the _only_ one I'm taking so _of course_ I have enough time to devote to that!"

"That sucks," Kelsi sympathized. "Which class?"

"Drama 126," Sharpay sighed. "I have _no_ idea what the fuck I'm going to write about. Ugh!"

"Well on the bright side, you don't have Friday classes, so at least it's the weekend now, right?" Gabriella brought up. "And we only have four more days of classes until finals week and then we get to go home for a month. You'll be back in California!"

"Yeah," Sharpay was still unimpressed.

"And… Tomorrow's opening night of the musical!"

"That's true!" Sharpay perked up. "I knew you were my best friend for a reason!"

Taylor's eyes widened and she turned to Gabriella for verification. "You guys are best friends?"

Shaking her head disbelievingly, Gabriella whispered back, "Just go with it."

"So, we didn't actually get any real studying done," Kelsi bit her lip. "That's probably not good."

"Yeah, but we did learn an important lesson from tonight's episode," Gabriella pointed out as Kelsi and Taylor packed up their belongings to trek back to their dorm. "You do not need to drink to have a good time and it's always better to be the responsible one."

"Ugh," Sharpay groaned. "You _would_ say that. Look Gabriella, here's the thing: you're in _college_ now. This isn't middle school anymore, where going to parties means playing Spin the Bottle and Seven Minutes in Heaven. People are going to drink and people are going to expect _you_ to drink, so you're going to have to jump on the bandwagon eventually."

"What a horrible speech," Taylor rolled her eyes. "We're going to get going before she starts telling you to smoke pot and have sex too."

Gabriella laughed, shaking her head. "See you guys later."

The moment the door closed, Sharpay snapped back to Gabriella. "Guess what?"

"The fifth dentist caved and now they're _all_ recommending Trident?"

Sharpay deadpanned. "Your sarcasm does not amuse me, Montez."

Gabriella smiled. "I stole that line from _Friends._ But seriously, what?"

"My brother has a new obsession with Kelsi, and he's sending her lilies tomorrow night for the show. Why the hell would he do that?"

"Because lilies are her favorite flower…?" Gabriella answered and Sharpay rolled her eyes.

"Not the point!" Sharpay shrieked. "He thinks this going to, like, wow her or something and they'll have some crazy-ass long-distance relationship. Those only work out in books and really bad romantic comedies."

Gabriella chuckled slightly. "You're really something, Sharpay. Can't you just be happy for them? It's so cute. They're both these quiet, shy, little music people. They're pretty ideal for each other, I think."

"It's just… I guess it's just annoying," The blonde decided. "Everyone is pairing off and getting together with people and I'm still… not."

"Sharpay, it'll happen. You just can't force it," Gabriella advised. "And hey, I'm not getting together with anyone either. I mean, you saw how it worked out with Aaron."

Sharpay scoffed. "Yeah, and your study date with Bolton is _not_ date. Uh huh, sure, you keep telling yourself that while the rest of us sit and enjoy reality."

Gabriella bit her lip. "It's _not_ a date."

… Or was it?

The next night, after the completion of the show, Sharpay regressed to the dressing room and began removing her stage make up with a cotton pad, scowling at Kelsi out of the corner of her eye, who was blushing and squealing excitedly over the prospect of the bouquet of lilies resting upon her dressing table. Sharpay removed the hair pins and frowned. What was wrong with her? Why couldn't someone have sent _her_ flowers? She played more of a role in the production than Kelsi, who was simply playing the piano in the orchestra and only for the second act. Her thoughts were so loud she had barely heard the knock on the dressing room door and had to blink a few times at the sight of a slightly bashful Zeke Baylor.

"Hey Sharpay. Great show," He grinned at her and she smiled hesitantly back.

"Thanks," She nodded. "I'm surprised you're not over there congratulating Miss Calla Lily."

"Kelsi? Nah. She did great too, but I mean… You were onstage, in front of all those people… Must've taken a lot of practice," Zeke shook his head. "I never could've done that."

"Yeah, well…" Sharpay trailed off, glancing away. "Practice makes perfect… I guess."

"Sure, sure. Well anyway, these are for you," He lifted his right hand which was full of gorgeously trimmed red roses.

"Oh, roses," Sharpay noted and then realized she sounded like a complete idiot.

"Yeah, that's what people bring to these things, right?" Zeke asked. "I really hope I didn't give you the wrong thing. I asked a bunch of people what to get you and… Well, roses seemed to just fit."

"No, no, no, you're right. Thank you, thank you so much," Sharpay grinned. "That was really nice of you."

"Nah, you deserved it," He grinned. "Anyway, great job. I should probably get out of here. Those girls over there are giving me odd looks."

"Yeah, you are in the women's dressing room," Sharpay teased. "Thank you, again. They're really pretty."

Zeke nodded and winked at her before moving to leave the room. As Sharpay glanced down at the bouquet of roses in her arms, she chuckled, shaking her head slowly. "How the fuck did I not see that coming? Damn. I'm as blind as Gabriella, now."

* * *

Saturday morning, Gabriella woke up feeling refreshed and ready to study for her psychology exam for as long as it was necessary. The class was no doubt difficult, but she truly believed that if she and Troy crammed for a few days, they would be ready to tackle the exam that week. She honestly couldn't believe that her first semester of college was already over. The past four, four and a half months had gone by extremely fast and she was so excited to take on the next semester at Syracuse. It was a challenge, but she was ready for anything.

Bundled from head to toe, she made the walk to Ernest Stevenson Bird Library in fifteen minutes. It wasn't too cold that morning and the snow had ceased for a while, but still Gabriella was dressed in her wool pea coat, a scarf, hat, and mittens. Wiping her boots on the welcome mat, Gabriella began to ascend the stairs to the floor she and Troy would meet on that afternoon. But as she rose to the second floor, she came face to face with a study session she truly wasn't prepared for.

Aaron Jackson and that same member of the dance team.

They were kissing, not heavily making out like at the party the week before, but it certainly wasn't a quick peck either. Their books were open on the table in front of them, but ultimately forgotten. After all, they didn't need a textbook to study the other's anatomy, did they? Gabriella turned away forcefully as tears stung her eyes. _No_, she vowed. _I will not show weakness here_. Crossing to the other side of the floor, Troy waved her over excitedly, having already gotten them a secluded table near the back of the library, their table filled with books, coffee, and bagels.

But the moment she sat down, he sensed something was wrong.

"Are you okay?" He asked apprehensively. "You look… off."

"Have you ever been absolutely, one hundred percent, completely wrong about a person?" Gabriella answered his question with one of her own. "Like, you meet them and they're really nice and treat you the way you want to be treated so you think that you're on the same page, but then all of a sudden that person does something _so out of character_ that you realize you didn't actually know them at all?"

Images of his and Courtney's relationship flashed through his mind as he nodded slowly, apprehensively. "Yeah. Why?"

She sighed heavily, defeated. "Aaron's making out with that dancer slut over there. I bet her name is Ashley. Did I tell you he called me Ash once? He said it was his sister's name and I believed him. I'm such an idiot!"

Troy glanced over in the direction she had arrived from and his fists clenched. "You're not an idiot, Gabriella."

"No, I am," She disagreed. "Clearly Ashley is not his sister. How could I _not_ realize that? He just… He was so good at making himself sound sincere. So good at coming up with these lies that I just willingly believed him. I didn't want to be skeptical because I didn't want to come off as cynical. But I should have been way more careful, because look at where we are now! This freaking mess!"

"Gabriella…" Troy tried to cut in, but she continued to rant.

"He probably planned this whole thing, you know?" She sighed. "He's a junior, he's an upperclassman now, so he's probably like, 'Oh let me find a pathetic and naïve little freshman to prey on. She won't know the difference between fantasy and reality! She's new; she doesn't know what college is like! Let's play with her, let's destroy her!' It makes me sick that I fell for that. How… How could I fall for that? I'm _so_ stupid!"

"Gabriella," Troy silenced her, grabbing her flailing hands in his own. "You're not stupid. This isn't your fault."

"Yes it is," She disagreed. "I'm the one who believed him."

"Okay, no, you're right. You're right; you believed him." Troy began and Gabriella lifted her gaze, her eyes locking on his. "Your only crime is believing he was a nice guy. And why wouldn't you? Like you said, he treated you nicely and wasn't a complete asshole until later. There's nothing wrong with what you did; you opened yourself up to him, you let him in, and he abused that power by taking advantage of you. That's _his_ wrong, not yours."

Gabriella stared at him, genuinely believing what he was saying. Troy continued, giving her hands a squeeze. "You're not an idiot for believing what he was saying. He's an idiot for saying it. And he's even more of an idiot if he can't see what he just gave up. If he can't see what an amazing person you are and how lucky he would be to have you, then clearly he's the idiot, not you."

A small smile formed on her face. "Do you really mean that?"

"Of course," His smile matched hers. "His loss."

Gabriella stood from her position, crossed the room, and nearly attacked Troy with a hug. "Thank you so much. You really just made my day."

Troy grinned, hugging back. "You're welcome. Now are you going to talk to him?"

"Oh yeah," Gabriella nodded, re-taking her seat. "Just… not yet. I need to figure out what I'm going to say to him first."

"Well if you need any help, you know my number," Troy winked.

"Yeah, thanks," She grinned. "Sorry I ruined our study date with my drama."

"Hey, nothing's been ruined," Troy said, taking a bagel and passing her the bag. Grabbing his textbook, he added, "And as for studying? We're just getting started."


	9. Watson Theater

**Hello all! Hopefully it's as fine a morning where you are as it is here in Syracuse, because, shockingly, it's sunny and lovely outside! Spring? Ha! Probably not. ;) Anyway, thank you all for your fabulous reviews and for not being sticklers about me not reviewing as often as I should. I really am going to try to change that, I promise! I just want to preface this chapter by saying NOT ALL SYRACUSE PARTIES ARE THIS BAD! I promise, ha ha. But I did go to one this bad and, like most events in this story, Gabriella's experience at the party is based off my own. =)**

**Oh, and yes, the whole snowing-for-five-days really happened too. And no, it wasn't a good time. =P  
**

**Alright, I do not own nor am I affiliated with Syracuse University, Disney, High School Musical, its characters, or Lady Antebellum and her fabulous song I used in this chapter. Thanks for reading and enjoy chapter nine!  
**

* * *

Bleeding Orange

Chapter Nine: Watson Theater

…

"_It's a quarter after one_  
_I'm all alone_  
_And I need you now_  
_Said I wouldn't call_  
_But I've lost all control_  
_And I need you now…"_

_"__**Need You Now**__,"__ Lady Antebellum_

…

"It's never, ever, _ever_ going to stop snowing," Sharpay commented, whining at the icy white crystals falling from grey clouds in the sky. "Oh my God, what if finals get canceled and we all get to go home early?"

"Well that would be great! For me," Gabriella said, not even looking up from her textbook. "For you? Your plane wouldn't fly in this weather and you'd be stuck here."

Sharpay's eyes widened at the prospect of staying in Syracuse and pressed her face against the window. "_Please_ stop snowing!"

Sharpay's reaction to the heavy precipitation was not dramatic. That afternoon, Friday December 10th, marked the fifth consecutive day of snowfall. They had amassed more than three feet of snow in the past five days and it was _still_ snowing. Syracuse's weather had been featured on national news as records for the average amount of snowfall were shattered. The normal amount of snow in Syracuse for the month of December was 29.5 inches. They had gotten more than that in just five days.

Today was the final day of classes for the fall semester, but certain classes had been delayed and canceled because the professors simply couldn't get to campus. The snowplows were having trouble keeping up with the accumulation and some had even given up. Gabriella was glad to not have any classes on Fridays and was perfectly content to just stay put on her bed, a blanket around her shoulders and her astronomy textbook wide open as she crammed for the exam the next week. Sharpay, however, was still freaking out.

"Oh my God, you _have_ to hear this e-mail the school just sent us," Sharpay read from her laptop. "_SU Health Services, the Safety Department and the Environmental Health Office remind everyone that persistent sub-freezing temperatures projected for the next few days place everyone at risk for frostbite, hypothermia and other cold weather injuries. While outdoors, it is critically important to avoid wet clothing, particularly wet socks. Other body areas at particular risk include the cheeks, the tip of the nose, the top of the ears and fingers. During these temperatures, limit your time outdoors and wear scarf/hat/gloves if you need to be outside._ If we _need_ to be outside? How else are we supposed to get to class and finals?"

"Sharpay, you know it's just a precautionary e-mail," Gabriella shook her head. "They're just telling you to limit your time outside. No dilly-dallying."

"Dilly-dallying?" Sharpay asked, amused. "What are you, eighty?"

"Stalling, dawdling, hanging around," Gabriella replaced, lifting her soft brown eyes to connect with the blonde's. "Now can I _please_ just study?"

"Sure, fine, do whatever you want," Sharpay sighed, flopping onto her bed. "Why are you cramming now? Your astronomy final isn't until Tuesday."

"I'm aware," Gabriella responded, highlighting a few key terms. "But this is my only real final, since psych was this past week and I don't really need to study for Spanish. Plus, we learned twenty-five chapters of this book that I need to remember now for this exam. Makes sense to start reviewing now."

"I guess so," Sharpay observed. "I don't know. I want time to celebrate classes being over before I start studying. What day are you going home?"

"Wednesday morning," Gabriella answered without missing a beat, turning the page in her notebook to jot down some vocabulary.

"Okay cool. I'm going home Wednesday afternoon, after my French final," She informed her roommate. "Are you going to settle things with Sir Douche-a-lot before you go?"

Rolling her eyes, the brunette nodded. "Yeah. I plan on it."

"Cool, because word on the street is," Sharpay's eyes sparkled with excitement as she sat up. "He's going to the Christmas party at Alpha Epsilon Phi on Tuesday night."

This got Gabriella's attention. "This school has Christmas parties? What happened to being 'politically correct'?"

"Well Hanukkah's over and does anyone even celebrate Kwanzaa?" Sharpay asked and then shook her head. "Anyway, it's _not_ a Christmas party. It's a frat party to celebrate the first semester ending."

Gabriella waited for the blonde to elaborate and when she didn't, asked, "And you're telling me this because…?"

"Because we're going," Sharpay decided. "And you're going to tell off that little bastard in front of all of his friends and he'll be humiliated and it'll be _hilarious_."

"Sharpay, that's not _me_, first of all. And second of all, I am _not_ going to a frat party." She insisted. "Do you know what awful things happen at frat parties?"

"Um, yeah. I go to them all the time," Sharpay chuckled. "They're not _that_ bad."

"Yeah right," Gabriella droned sarcastically. "People get unbelievably drunk and end up having sex with random strangers. I definitely don't want to be around to bear witness to _that_."

"Listen, they're so not a big deal," Sharpay counteracted. "Plus you won't have to bear witness to that because you'll be there with me. We'll go, tell Aaron off, and then leave. Promise."

Gabriella bit her lip, considering it. "Why am I actually thinking about going with you?"

Sharpay squealed and clapped excitedly. "Ooh good! I was really hoping you'd say yes! I promise, it'll be a _ton_ of fun."

"Yeah," Gabriella sighed uneasily. "I doubt it."

* * *

"Are you _kidding_ me?" Taylor nearly shouted as she and her best friend exited the Physics building that Tuesday afternoon. "You're going to do _what_ tonight?"

"Listen, don't you think I know it isn't a good idea?" Gabriella question and Taylor shook her head.

"No, or else you wouldn't be going." She responded smartly. "Gabriella, a _frat_ party? Do you know what kinds of horrible things happen at frat parties?"

"I'm aware, yes," She groaned. "I can't help it. He's going and I'm leaving tomorrow and it'll probably be the last time I get to talk to him before break. Sure, he'll probably be intoxicated but… I don't care. I just need to do this."

"You're insane," Taylor shook her head. "What part of your incredibly intelligent brain is telling you this is okay?"

"The irrational side that's hardly listening to you right now," Gabriella admitted and Taylor chuckled.

"Whatever, whatever. Just be careful." Taylor warned. "You do know that Syracuse has some of the worst frat parties of any college campus, right?"

"Taylor," Gabriella remained calm. "Please stop trying to talk me out of this. I'm going. End of discussion."

"Fine, fine," Taylor backed off as they continued their walk through the Quad. Gabriella was sweet and mild-mannered, but she also knew that she was stubborn and headstrong and there was no way to make her best friend stay in that evening. "So what did you think of the exam? It was kind of easy, right?"

"Really easy," Gabriella agreed, pulling her pea coat closer to her body. "I got a little confused on the retrograde motion questions, though. What is that, again?"

"When the Earth's orbit appears to go east to west instead of west to east," Taylor recited from memory. "I studied that part for an hour last night because I knew I'd probably forget."

"Ah shit," Gabriella swore. "I thought it was the other way around. Oh well. There's one point I won't be getting."

"Eh, not a big deal." Taylor shrugged. "Hey, when are you getting dinner tonight? Kelsi left this morning and I don't want to eat alone."

"I'm actually getting dinner with Troy tonight," Gabriella apologized. "It's, you know, the last time we'll see each other until 2011 so… yeah. But maybe Sharpay's free…?"

Taylor shook her head. "She has a date with Zeke tonight. I don't know if they're dating, but if you ever get sex-iled you are free to come live with me and Kels."

Gabriella laughed out loud. "Thanks for the offer. I don't know if they're dating yet either, but I'll definitely keep that in mind. You could go to dinner with Chad?"

Taylor frowned. "I guess so."

"What's your issue with him?" Gabriella asked as they came upon Ernie Davis Hall. "He's such a fun person and he's really nice!"

"He's so arrogant and he thinks he knows _everything_ about girls," Taylor huffed. "He keeps coming on to me with these cheap pick-up lines and these ridiculously exaggerated compliments. It's getting out of hand. He's cute, don't get me wrong. But I can't see myself with him."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Give him a chance. Troy says he really likes you."

Taylor blushed slightly before narrowing her eyes. "Yeah, well tell Troy to stick to his own relationship issues. I don't want relationship advice from someone who won't even make a move himself."

"What do you mean?" Gabriella asked defensively.

The other girl turned away. "Nothing. Just forget it. I'll talk to you later, okay? I have to go to Watson for my econ final."

"Yeah, sure," Gabriella stated apprehensively. "Good luck."

"You too," Taylor returned. "Be careful tonight. Don't accept any drinks and keep one hand on your cell phone."

Rolling her eyes, Gabriella nodded and started up the sidewalk towards the glass building. It was already a-bustle with people at five thirty p.m. and she was a half hour early for her dinner with Troy. Deciding to just wait it out instead of bracing the cold and heading back to her dorm for a little while, Gabriella took a seat on the sidelines and took part in one of her favorite activities- people watching. It was so easy to get wrapped up in, since Syracuse was a school of many, many students all flittering about with their busy lives. Each time the door opened to release a student into the cold or to welcome someone in from it, Gabriella found a new subject to study.

Then, as students rushed past, taking their food to go as they continued to cram or simply just dawdled their way back to their dorms, Gabriella realized that she had now officially finished one semester of college. Where had the time gone? Wasn't it only yesterday that she was apprehensive but excitedly applying, accepting, and moving in? Wasn't it just a few hours ago that she had completed creating her schedule and attending her first college class? And didn't it seem not too long ago that she had befriended the group she now called her second family? Time flew unbelievably fast here and Gabriella was surprised she hadn't noticed that before.

The door to Ernie Davis Hall opened again and this time Gabriella recognized the figure entering through it. Troy stepped over the threshold and shook his bangs out of his eyes, shivering slightly in the cold as he wiped his snowy boots on the carpet. He removed his hat and gloves and shoved both into his pockets before glancing around for Gabriella, who made her presence known to him as she stood and greeted him genially. He asked about her astronomy final politely and she repeated her tale of its simplicity before the two swiped their I.D. cards and headed into the dining hall to find something to eat.

"I'll tell you one thing," Troy began as they finally found a table and sat down with their trays of less-than-edible food. "I'm _not_ going to miss this food. My Mom's cooking is _way_ better than this shit."

"Yours and mine both," Gabriella agreed. "This stuff is ridiculously repetitive. How many times are they going to serve turkey? I'm so sick of turkey!"

"Maybe they'll get better over the break," Troy suggested. "Maybe they'll take a few cooking classes, or something. They need to learn how to make real meals. This stuff is… pretty bad."

"Yeah, I definitely agree," Gabriella grinned before something caught her eye. She nearly did a double take as she noticed Aaron Jackson was staring at her from a few tables away, guilt, sadness, and a little bit of jealously clearly swimming in his eyes. Her eyes widened as he stood, obviously glad she noticed him, and began to make his way over to her. "Oh my God."

"What? What's wrong?" Troy asked, concerned.

Gabriella groaned slightly as Aaron grew closer. "It's Aaron. He's here and he's coming over."

Before either of them could say another word, Aaron approached the table, his eyes resentful of Troy's position. "Gabriella… Hi."

"Hi Aaron," Gabriella smiled slightly, but it was clear to all three parties that her smile was less than genuine. "You remember Troy, right?"

"I don't know if we've ever met," Aaron responded, sticking his hand out for Troy to shake. "Hi. Aaron Jackson. Gabriella's told me a lot about you."

"Troy Bolton," Troy responded, trying hard to be civil. "I've heard a lot about you, too."

"Good things, I hope," Aaron smirked and Troy chuckled dryly, neither confirming nor denying the statement. Gabriella shot him a look. "Anyway, Gabriella, we really need to talk."

"Yes we do," She replied, her voice calm and even. "But Troy and I are having dinner right now, so we'll have to do it later."

Now it was clear that Aaron was growing impatient _and_ jealous. "How much later?"

"Tonight," Gabriella stated adamantly, to Troy's surprise. "The frat party on Euclid? Alpha Epsilon Phi, right?"

"Yeah," Aaron scoffed. "But _you're_ going to a frat party?"

Gabriella nodded. "See you there."

Knowing a dismissal when he heard one, Aaron stalked away and Gabriella exhaled. "Oh my God. Did that make me sound like a bitch?"

"No," Troy assured her. "But a _frat party?_ What are you thinking?"

"I'm not! I just want to talk to him and this is my last chance to do that before break," She reasoned. "I want to get him off of my mind, okay? I just want to have a peaceful break so that I can come back here and start the second semester off on the right foot, with no regrets. I waited long enough. I mean, that house party was a month ago. I should've done it by now."

"I'm coming with you," Troy decided and Gabriella shot him an odd glance.

"What? No, you don't need to come with me." She told him. "Sharpay's going. I'm not going alone."

"Yeah, _that's_ comforting," Troy stated sarcastically. "I'm coming with you."

"Troy, I don't need your help!" She insisted so strongly that she scared herself saying this. "I'm sorry, it's just… I need to be able to prove to myself that I can handle adult situations on my own. If I don't do this myself, it's just taking the cowardly way out. It's not like I'm going to go break up with him and I'll need consolation afterwards because we were never dating. But… I just _need_ to do this. I need to talk to him and I don't need any help doing it."

"Okay," Troy threw his hands up in defense. "But my phone will be on all night. Call me if you… If you need to."

"I won't need to," Gabriella insisted. "But thank you."

* * *

The minute she walked into the fraternity, Gabriella knew this most likely wasn't going to end well.

"Okay, it's a little overwhelming at first, but try to just relax," Sharpay shouted over the pounding music.

"How can I relax?" Gabriella yelled back. "This is _hardly_ a relaxed atmosphere."

"Just follow my lead," The blonde informed her and she wrestled her way through the packed house.

Sharpay was in the lead, and though normally Gabriella wouldn't trust the blonde, she knew she was the only one between the two who knew this situation well enough to navigate. Grabbing Gabriella's wrist, Sharpay wrenched her way through the claustrophobic hallway, packed from wall to wall with people smoking marijuana and making out. They passed by the entrance to the basement, whose stairway was also packed with people and was the direction the thumping music was coming from. Gabriella could vaguely make out strobe lights and more cigarette smoke besides the obvious grinding bodies. The basement was clearly where the dance floor was set up.

As they finally made it to the end of the hallway, they passed by the kitchen, in which the frat brothers were mixing more drinks and one was hooking up with a half-dressed girl on the kitchen counter. Gabriella's eyes widened at the severity of the situation when they entered the living room. A beer pong table was set up in the middle of the room, with a highly intoxicated group of girls going against a few guys at the other end. In one corner of the room, a guy was doing body shots off of a girl who was barely conscious and in the other corner, Gabriella was sure a group of guys were doing cocaine.

"Okay," Sharpay shouted. "I'm going to go get a drink. Do you want anything?"

Gabriella looked at her as if she were already drunk. "_No_ I don't want anything! You're going to leave me alone here?"

"Relax, I'm just going to the kitchen to get some jungle juice," She rolled her eyes. "Look, Aaron's over there by the beer pong table. You talk to him, I'm going to go get a drink, and we'll meet back at the couches, okay?"

"Okay," She agreed uneasily. "But you _have_ to meet me back here."

"I will, calm down," The blonde chuckled. "You think I'm going to leave my little party virgin alone?"

Gabriella felt a small shiver run down her spine as Sharpay headed back through the crowd of people and towards the kitchen. She pulled the zipper on her sweatshirt up a little higher and clutched her stomach as she took a few deep, calming breaths. _Relax, Gabriella_, she mentally prepared herself. _You can do this. Just breathe. It's just a party. People go to parties all the time_. Exhaling one last time, she crossed the room to where Aaron was standing, getting ready to take a shot at one of the plastic cups at the end of the table. A guy on the other side of the table grinned as she approached.

"Hey, fresh meat!" He shouted. "Hello gorgeous. Wanna take a shot?"

"No thanks," Her voice came out surprisingly even. "I'm actually here to talk to Aaron."

"Aw, shocker," The boy reacted. "He always gets the good ones. Isn't that right, Ash?"

The blonde dancer that Gabriella now recognized as Ashley scowled. "Yeah. Sure."

Aaron stepped away from the game for a moment and groaned. "Hurry up. It was my turn to throw!"

Gabriella could tell he was already drunk, but honestly, that couldn't matter less to her at the moment. "Aaron, remember that party you invited me to before Thanksgiving?"

"Yeah, at Mike's apartment?" He recalled. "I didn't see you that night. Didn't you blow me off?"

"No," Gabriella frowned. "I came and when I went to find you and tell you I was there, I found you making out with Ashley instead."

Aaron blinked at her. "So?"

"So? What do you mean, 'so?'?" Gabriella asked, fuming. "Why would make out with another girl?"

"Because she's my girlfriend…?" Aaron stated as if it were obvious.

His answer hit her like a slap in the face. "She's your _what?_"

"My girlfriend," Aaron stared at her for a long time before it finally hit him that she was upset over the news. "Oh! You thought…?"

"I thought you liked me," Gabriella admitted softly. "I thought that was the reason you were being so nice to me. I thought that's why you invited me to the party that night."

"Gabriella, don't get me wrong. You're a nice girl," He slurred slightly, his eyes red-rimmed from alcohol. "But you're definitely _not_ dating material. I'm sorry. I definitely thought you knew we were just friends."

Gabriella's mouth fell open. "Not dating material? _I'm_ not dating material? What about you? What about the guy who leads a girl on for two months and then completely slaps her in the face?"

"What are you talking about?" He swayed a little, but his words were strong. "I never slapped you in the face!"

"No, you're right," Gabriella smiled wryly. "_I_ slapped _you_ in the face."

"No you didn-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Gabriella's palm collided with his cheek and she turned and pushed her way through the crowd towards the other side of the room. Sharpay was waiting on the couch for her, like she promised, and sipping a red cup. She took notice of her roommate's hurt behavior and stood, offering her the other red cup she had gathered and insisting it was only water. But refusing to believe her, Gabriella collapsed onto the couch and buried her face into her hands, inhaling deeply and willing herself not to show emotion in a place like this.

"I'm guessing it didn't go well?" Sharpay finally spoke a few minutes later.

Gabriella shook her head. "It went fine. Aaron learned a thing or two about life and so did I. It's over with, that's all I care about."

"Well at least now it's over and done and you can relax," Sharpay offered with a smile. "Get up and play some pong. It's really fun."

Gabriella refused. "I'm not going to drink."

"You don't have to drink," Sharpay smirked. "Just make sure you don't sink the ball, then."

Shaking her head, the brunette slumped back against the couch. "No really, I'm good. Can we go back to Booth now? I need a hot shower and a romantic comedy to prove that hope in love shouldn't be lost."

Sharpay snorted and stood. "Sure. Let me go to the bathroom and I'll be right back."

Gabriella waved her off and yanked her cell phone out of her pocket to occupy her time. She sent few texts to Taylor and Kelsi to explain what had happened and they had offered their support until deciding to go to bed. Sighing, Gabriella then found herself playing Tetris and Solitaire on her cell phone before checking the digital clock and realizing it was almost one in the morning. Sharpay had gone to the bathroom almost a half hour earlier. Sending her a simple text asking, _Where are you?_ Gabriella waited for only five minutes before receiving a message reading, _Won't be back tonight._

"Great," Gabriella groaned. "Sharpay's gone and now I'm going to get raped."

Just as she uttered these words, she felt a body fall onto the couch beside her. "Hey… Gabriella, right?"

"Yeah," She stated apprehensively. "Why? Who are you?"

"My name's Tim," He grinned drunkenly. "You Aaron's friend?"

"No," Gabriella refused. "Not at all."

"Cool," Tim nodded. "So… You wanna play?"

"Oh, no, I don't drink so…" She refused but her eyes widened as she noticed a much more explicit game occurring in the cocaine corner of the room.

"Well, you don't have to drink for this one," Tim winked, grasping her wrist and dragging her to the corner of the room, where three other girls were passing around lipstick tubes.

Gabriella yanked her wrist free. "No! I do _not_ want to play. Thanks anyway."

Turning away, a chord of fear struck when he grabbed her arm again and spun her back around. "It wasn't really a question."

"Actually it was," Gabriella wrenched her arm free a second time. "And here's my answer."

Kneeing him in the groin and grinning satisfactorily when he fell to the ground, Gabriella turned and hurried as fast as she could through the crowd. She lost all pretense of being polite as she pushed past the groping couples in the hallway and the smoking guys at the door. She ran and ran until she was in the cold again, the light snowfall hit her and she knew she had made it out. But as she walked to the end of the driveway, she realized she had no idea where she was. Alpha Epsilon Phi seemed twenty miles from campus even though she knew it was somewhat close. Either way, she didn't know how to get back to her dorm and she knew that if she called the Department of Public Safety for an escort back, she would get in trouble just for being at an establishment where alcohol was present.

She was stuck. Alone.

Reaching for her cell phone again, she typed a quick message to Troy and regretted it the whole time she was doing so. _I know I told you I wouldn't need to call… But help me!_ She hit send before her mind could tell her to stop. She felt bad asking for help after she had insisted so adamantly that she wouldn't need him, but she knew that she would feel much better with a male escort home and couldn't think of anyone else she'd feel safer with. Her phone buzzed in her hand and she smiled gratefully at Troy's response. _Don't even worry about it. Alpha Epsilon Phi? I'll be right there._

And right there he was, for he showed up only fifteen minutes later. "Hey. What's up? Party too much for you?"

Without responding, Gabriella launched herself into his arms and closed her eyes, feeling at home, feeling safe. "Thank you."

Troy chuckled, hugging back. "I told you, don't worry about it. I was up anyway. What happened to Sharpay?"

Pulling back, Gabriella sighed as they began to walk down the sidewalk. "She bailed over an hour ago. She told me she was going to the bathroom and she never came back."

"Typical," Troy frowned. "So… Did you talk to Aaron?"

Mentally slapping herself, Gabriella realized the only person she _hadn't_ texted about Aaron was Troy. "Yeah, we talked. He, uh… He was dating Ashley the whole time."

Troy turned to look at her. "He _what?_"

"My reaction exactly," She responded. "He told me that he and Ashley were dating and that he thought he and I were just friends. He, um… He told me that I was really nice, but that I'm not dating material."

"He _what?_" Troy repeated. "God, I know he was drunk, but that couldn't be further from the truth."

Blushing slightly, she turned from him. "Thanks Troy, but you don't have to stick up for me. Maybe he's right, you know? Maybe that's why I've never had a boyfriend before. Guys have always seen me as their friend or their tutor. But I guess they've never seen me as their girlfriend before. It makes sense now."

"Gabriella," Troy stopped her thoughts in their tracks. "That's not true and you know it. Any guy would be lucky to date you. You deserve someone way better than that, anyway."

"Like who?" She asked softly, and then when silence ensued, she added, "Someone like you?"

It was Troy's turn to blush as he turned away, noting her dormitory in the near distance and mentally thanking God. "Well, I'm not saying that. You deserve someone better than me."

"Oh," Gabriella responded disappointedly. "I guess… I guess so."

Troy was mentally kicking himself over and over again for letting the moment pass. "Well anyway, here you are. Back at Booth and back safely."

"Yeah, thank you so much," She smiled half-heartedly. "Have a good break."

"Yeah, you too," He grinned back at her, though it was weak. "I'll see you when we get back."

They exchanged goodbye hugs before Gabriella swiped her I.D. card to gain entrance into the building and disappeared. Troy sighed heavily and began his descent down the hill, kicking himself the whole way down. "Damn it, Troy. You had her in the palm of your hands. Why didn't you do something?" But something was obstructing his actions; something was in the way each time he wanted to confess his feelings and make a move. Each time he wanted to ask Gabriella out, the situation kept repeating itself, over and over again until it was all he could think about and the moment was lost.

"_You're moving way too fast, Troy! I just want to slow down!_"

"_Moving too fast? We've been dating for three years!_"

Shaking his head clear of those thoughts, Troy allowed himself to head back to his own dorm and try to rid himself of all thoughts of that night, relationship failures, and ultimately, of Courtney.


	10. The Quad

**Good afternoon! So here's the thing. If you looked up the definition of "filler chapter" in the FanFiction dictionary, this chapter would be right next to said definition. Nothing major happens here, but I do hint at two very important events that will come into play in the future. Yeah. That's also why its named "The Quad" which is not a building, just a huge courtyard in the middle of campus. Save the building names for the real chapters, lol. So thank you all so much for your reviews because honestly, they are what keeps me going. =)**

**I do not own nor am I affiliated with Syracuse University, High School Musical, its characters, or Mariah Carey. Please enjoy and I apologize in advance for the cliffhanger. =P**

* * *

Bleeding Orange

Chapter Ten: The Quad

…

"_I don't want a lot for Christmas  
There is just one thing I need  
I don't care about the presents  
Underneath the Christmas tree  
I just want you for my own  
More than you could ever know  
Make my wish come true  
All I want for Christmas is you…"_

_~ "_**_All I Want for Christmas is You_**_," Mariah Carey_

…

"_Let's take the road before us and sing a chorus or two_," Maria Montez crooned, nailing pineapple to the honey glazed ham with toothpicks. "_Come on, it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you_. Gabby, how's my tree looking?"

"Fine," Gabriella called from the living room, sliding another ornament onto one of the pine needle-encrusted branches. It was a tradition started by her father that they postpone decorating the Christmas tree until Christmas morning, after the gifts had been cleared away. To some, it may seem strange, but it was a Montez family Christmas tradition, just like attending church at midnight the night before and eating a honey-glazed ham with all the trimmings for dinner.

And as much as Gabriella loved the Christmas season, she really wasn't feeling up to it this year.

She had two major things on her mind. The most important being her father and his absence during their holidays together. Last year at this time, Gabriella and her mother had suffered the great loss just a few weeks earlier and were too devastated to celebrate Christmas. Neighbors, friends, and family brought them dozens upon dozens of sympathy cards, gifts, and assorted food dishes, but none of their generous offers filled the large void in their lives. The holidays passed by in a surreal blur, each day bleaker than the next as they could hardly grasp reality to be able to move on. Maria and Gabriella decided against Christmas that year, tossing the tree out the front door and leaving the presents wrapped and kept hidden.

In fact, this year, when Gabriella went to retrieve her mother's present from beneath her bed, she found one addressed to her father from the Christmas before. She almost cried at the sight of it.

This year, however, was different. They had gone through an entire year without him and they were prepared to deal with all sorts of grief. Gabriella had made it through her first semester of college and Maria had returned to work, and now the struggle they dealt with was celebrating a joyous occasion without such a big part of their lives. It was weird; picking out the tree and figuring out how to keep it in the stand without him- that was always his job. Decorating and singing Christmas carols, taking a horse-drawn carriage ride through Congress Park in the light snowfall, baking Christmas cookies and building a gingerbread house- these were all things Gabriella enjoyed doing with _both_ her parents, and now would only get to do them with one.

However, while she was home for Thanksgiving, Gabriella and her mother had learned all about Robert Montez's _other_ life- the one he lived when he would tell his wife and daughter that he was working late or going away on business for the long weekend. Gabriella had been completely shocked and horrified; Maria, well, she was still a little bit in denial. Because if you found out horrible things about someone so important to you _after_ they passed on, did it make you miss or love them any less? Maria's answer was no.

Gabriella was still unsure.

And speaking of unsure, this reminded Gabriella of the _other_ thing on her mind over Christmas break- Troy Bolton. She wasn't stupid- over the past few weeks, Gabriella had finally started taking Sharpay and Taylor's teasing into accords. So maybe Troy _did_ like her, but if he really wanted to start something, he had an odd way of showing it. Gabriella was extremely old fashioned and believed that if a guy was interested, _he_ should be the one to ask the girl out. But at this point… She didn't know. Troy was sweet, funny, caring, and protective- and, she wasn't going to lie, he was _not_ hard on the eyes. But if he wanted to be more than friends, he would've done something by now, right?

Then again, did she really want him to do something? Because when Aaron "did something," it ended up being inviting her to a party where she found him kissing another girl.

The doorbell sounded and Gabriella finished placing the ornaments on the tree before setting down the box and heading through the foyer towards the front door. Maria was still fixing dinner and Gabriella heard pans clanging together as her mother yelled, "It's Aunt Linda. Will you grab that, Gabby?" Nodding was futile, but she found herself doing it anyway. Yanking the door open, Gabriella plastered on a smile as she came face to face with her mother's sister and her family.

"Gabriella!" Linda smiled, embracing her. "How are you honey? How's college? Oh, I can't _wait_ to hear all about it! How are doing with the holidays, _cariña_? I'm sure it's difficult. Is your mother in the kitchen? Maria, do you need help?"

Without giving Gabriella a moment to respond, Linda took off in the direction of the kitchen, dragging her husband David along with her. Gabriella's ten-year-old twin cousins Jaime and Nicolas shot her a quick hello before dashing about the house, playing their game-of-the-week that only they knew of. And last but not least, her twenty-year-old cousin Isabel stepped over the threshold and closed the door behind her, immediately engulfing her cousin in a hug. They spoke nonstop about their respective college experiences- Isabel attended Penn State University- before Maria announced that dinner was ready and served and they all sat down around the table.

Isabel noticed that Gabriella was hardly vocal throughout dinner and nudged her. "Hey, what's up? You ok?"

"I just have a lot on my mind, that's all." Gabriella responded with a half-hearted smile.

Isabel cocked her head to the side. "Like what? Is it about Uncle Robert? This has got to be a hard time for you and Aunt Maria."

"Yeah it is," Gabriella agreed quietly. "But I think it's just… I don't know. It's overwhelming."

"There's a guy, isn't there?" Isabel guessed and grinned satisfactorily when a blush crept up Gabriella's cheeks.

"Yeah, but it's really weird," Gabriella sighed and proceeded to tell Isabel the entire story behind her and Troy, which took them well into the end of dinner and halfway through their dishwashing. "I guess I'm just confused. He's sending all the signs that he likes me, and yet, nothing has happened."

"Well do you like him?" Isabel asked and Gabriella bit her lip, nodding.

"I never noticed it before, probably because I was hung up on Aaron," Gabriella shook her head at Isabel's confused look. "Another story for another time. But anyway, I'd be crazy not to like him. He's just…"

"Indescribable," Isabel finished for her. "I can tell. Well, from _tons_ of experience, unfortunately, with these situations, he's in one of two situations. He was in a long-term relationship before, right?"

"Yeah," Gabriella affirmed. "That's all I know, though. We haven't talked about it."

"Okay, well that's all you need to know. He either was really, really hurt by the end of this past relationship and that's why he's so cautious about starting another one," Isabel explained. "Or, he's the one who hurt _her_ and is really regretting that and afraid of doing the same to you."

Gabriella thought this over. "Wow. You're so right. How do you know this?"

"Like I said," Isabel chuckled. "I've had a _lot_ of experience."

* * *

"…so then I said, 'You deserve someone way better than that, anyway.' And _she_ said, 'Like who? Someone like you?' which was my perfect chance, Emma," Troy addressed the infant in his arms. "But I _completely_ blew my chance. I don't even remember what I said, but it was something ridiculous. So what do I do now, Em? How do I fix that?"

Two-week-old Emma O'Malley glanced up at her uncle, her blue eyes matching his own, and gurgled slightly. Troy chuckled. "Of course, you have _no_ clue what I'm saying. You're just glad you don't live in a uterus anymore."

"Troy?" Caroline called out, entering the formal living room, where Troy was seated with the infant in the armchair by the lit Christmas tree. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, you know. Emma was giving me life advice and I was hearing about her life in utero," He joked and his eldest sister laughed.

"Right," Caroline observed, glad that Troy had bonded so well with his niece. "Anyway, thanks for watching her for a bit. But I'm sure she's hungry and Chad just pulled up."

"Oh! Great, thanks," He effortlessly shifted the baby into his sister's arms and threw on a pair of shoes and a jacket.

Caroline pressed a small kiss to her daughter's sweet-smelling forehead before asking, "Is there going to be alcohol at this party?"

"Of course," Troy informed her. "_Please_ don't be Cass and tell Mom and Dad."

Caroline grinned. "You think I'd do that, baby bro? Just be careful."

"I always am," Troy opened the door, but paused to add, "And I'm not really a baby anymore, Care. I'm nineteen."

"Technicalities," Caroline winked, closing the door behind him.

When Troy got into Chad's car, the latter was glaring at him. "What?"

"Taylor told me what you said," Chad deadpanned. "You had the _perfect_ chance to just swoop in and get what you wanted, and you completely threw that away!"

"How the fuck does Taylor know?" Troy shrieked as they sped down the road.

"How do you _think_ she knows?" Chad rolled his eyes. "She's Gabriella's best friend!"

"Damn it," Troy looked away from his best friend's penetrating glare. "Well listen, I am completely aware of my stupid move. But I would also appreciate some advice instead of judgment."

"Hey, who's judging?" Chad asked defensively. "I think you're a dumb shit, but who's judging?"

"That _is_ judging." Troy deadpanned.

Chad ignored him. "Look, you want my advice? Stop being a pansy-ass and just ask her out before she moves on."

"Well I can't do that for a couple more weeks," Troy commented as he and Chad pulled up to their friend's house. "Might as well have fun tonight, I guess."

Chad parked the car, clapping his friend on the shoulder. "That's the spirit."

They entered the home of their high school pal Jason Cross, who threw this New Year's Eve party every year, and were immediately greeted by the overly eager nineteen-year-old. This party seemed to have a different vibe to it than last year's; maybe it was because Troy hadn't seen any of these people for almost four months and they all seemed to be having a great time catching up with each other. Chad was greeted by a bunch of ex-cheerleaders from their graduating class, grabbed a red plastic cup, and followed them into the crowd. Troy conversed with Jason for a little while before grabbing his own drink and searching for something to clear his head.

His mind was fighting World War III over what to do, what to say. He _really_ liked Gabriella- she was gorgeous, funny, sweet, and caring- and he knew he was a coward for not saying or doing anything before. But at the same time, his mind- or maybe his heart, who knows? – would not let him forget the three years he spent with Courtney. They had been in love, they had experienced so much together and had withstood so much more, and then had ended so abruptly. He wasn't sure what it was with her; he wasn't sure if he still had feelings for her or not, but he knew that some small part of him was reluctant to let her go. If he could just see her once more, maybe it would put that small, indignant piece of him to rest and he might finally be able to move on.

And then, there she was.

Troy didn't know why he didn't expect Courtney to be at the party. Their entire graduating class, pretty much, was in attendance and he _knew_ she would be there. But for some reason, he still expected not to see her at all. He didn't expect to toss his empty cup away and reach for a new one, only to come into contact with _her_ as she reached for the same cup. He didn't expect to be surprised at how cold her hand was or at how relaxed and, well, _pretty_ she looked. Her blue eyes were still sparkling, her soft features still calm and pleasant, her honey blonde hair still golden and flowing. She bit her lip and pulled back just as he retreated as well.

"You can have it," Troy told her selflessly, reaching for a different one and retracting back towards his corner of the room.

"Thanks," Courtney said quietly, taking it and following him, even though his actions told her she wasn't welcome. "You probably don't want to talk to me, do you?"

"We're mature adults," Troy sighed. "What do you want to talk about? How's school been?"

"Fine, but that's not what I want to talk about," Courtney crossed her arms over her chest. "I want to talk about us."

"Us? There isn't an 'us.' Wasn't that your intention in breaking up with me?" Troy asked bitterly and Courtney narrowed her eyes.

"Yes, but you don't have to be a jackass about it," Courtney replied. "Excuse me for wanting to explore my dating opportunities in college!"

Troy's eyes widened. "Excuse me for _not_ wanting to!"

"You know what? Forget it. I don't know why I thought I'd give you a second chance anyway," She began to walk away when Troy called out to her in outrage.

"Give _me_ a second chance?" He was bewildered. Who was this and what had she done with the Courtney he fell in love with all those years ago? "Well, that's _so_ nice of you! Thank you for giving me that option."

"Listen, I don't want to hear your sarcasm," Courtney frowned. "I miss you. I just thought maybe… We could give us another try."

"You know what, Court? I miss you too," Troy told her honestly. "But not _this_ you. I don't know what happened to the old Courtney, but if you ever find her again, give her my number."

This time, it was Courtney who was left dumbfounded as Troy left her behind and finally realized that he honestly _didn't_ have any feelings for her anymore. The entire conversation, he felt nothing but resentment towards her- not adoration, not passion, and _certainly_ not love. He needed this moment, sure, for closure, but now that he finally got it, he could officially move on with his life. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders, like the key to free thinking was given to him and now he could breathe easily. He joined Chad and Jason in the countdown to the New Year and joined in the celebration and singing of Auld Lang Syne.

Welcome 2011 and welcome to a brand-new Troy Bolton.

* * *

"Hey! Oh my God, how are you?"

"Hello, hello, hello!"

"How was your break?"

"Oh my God, how are you doing? How was your break?"

"You guys! I missed you so much!"

January seventeenth, the entire gang was reunited in the main lounge of Booth Hall, excitedly hugging and greeting one another as they relayed their stories of winter break. The entire campus was a-buzz with activity and excitement, just as it had been after Thanksgiving and on the first day of the past semester. The following day, they would all embark on their first day of classes for the second semester, plunging right back into the grind as they finished up their freshman year.

In the midst of all the hugging and squealing, Troy caught Gabriella's eye and winked. She grinned back and he took a moment to stare just a bit too long. She looked older, wiser; as if he wasn't the only one thinking about their relationship over the break. She was wearing a pair of dark-washed denim jeans and a deep purple shirt, her hair pulled back halfway as she listened intently to Sharpay's plans for the semester, but continued to steal glances at Troy and giggle when she noticed he was still watching her.

Plopping down on the couches, Sharpay took the initiative to begin their conversation. "So, I know we're all thrilled to be back, but we _have_ to talk about what we did over break… I'll go first!"

"Joy," Chad sighed and Sharpay glared.

"Shut up," The blonde spat and then brightened considerably, taking Zeke's hand. "Anyway, just so you all know, Zeke asked me out over break! Be excited for me!"

"Aw, congratulations!"

"Yeah, you guys will be cute together."

"That's all you did over break?" Chad asked and Sharpay frowned. "Lame! I went skiing with Troy and bunch of our friends all day, every day. Beat that!"

"Um, I can," Taylor decided. "My sister and I visited our grandparents in Florida and we went to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It was awesome!"

"That's so cool! I want to go there!" Gabriella stated excitedly. "I didn't really do anything. I went back to work and babysat my cousins a lot. That's all."

"I got a lot of composing done," Kelsi added quietly. "But mostly I just stayed home and relaxed."

"I," Troy grinned proudly. "Am officially an uncle. My sister had her baby the day after I got home. Her name is Emma Claire O'Malley and I already love the kid to death. Want to see a picture?"

He passed around his phone and got approval from the rest of the group. "She's _so _precious!"

"Look at that tiny little nose and her little fingers!"

"She's adorable," Sharpay concluded and then decided a change of subject was needed. "Okay, so let's talk about spring break now. Who-"

"Wait, we didn't hear about Zeke's break," Taylor pointed out and Zeke chuckled.

"It's alright. I didn't really do much. I spent the entire break trying to figure out whether or not I should just ask Sharpay out."

"Ah," Chad laughed. "My man Troy knows a lot about that, don't you Troy?"

Troy shot his best friend a look and replied through gritted teeth. "Sure."

"Wait, so _you_ were the guy Sharpay went home with at that party before break?" Gabriella asked Zeke, who wore a look of shock.

"No!"

Sharpay gasped and glared at her roommate. "Why the _hell_ would you say that?"

Gabriella smiled tightly. "_That_ is for leaving me alone at the party that night. We're even."

"Oooookay," Taylor cut through the silence. "Let's put this behind us. Shar, what were you saying about spring break?"

However, the blonde was still fuming. "Gabriella, I need to talk to you. _Right now_."

She yanked her arm nearly out of its socket and pulled her a safe distance from the group, where they began arguing intently. Kelsi turned to Taylor. "Gabriella may be sleeping in our room tonight."

Taylor chuckled. "Gabriella's strong. She can handle the Wrath of Sharpay."

Chad took the time to lean in closer to his best friend as the rest of the group began to talk amongst themselves once more. "So we've been back almost twelve hours and things still haven't happened between you two. Did my encouraging speech mean nothing to you?"

Troy frowned. "I'm waiting for the right moment."

"That, my friend, would be right now," Chad stated. "You know what to do."

It dawned on Troy that his best friend was surprisingly correct in this matter. "You know what? You're right. I'm sick and tired of feeling sorry for myself and mourning Courtney. I don't feel anything for her anymore, I might as well get over it!"

"That's the attitude!"

"Gabriella is the only girl I've liked since this whole thing and I'm going to lose her if I don't do something," Troy realized, glancing over towards the brunette who was still heatedly arguing with her roommate. "It's like that old saying my Dad says when he's sick of me complaining. 'Laugh and the whole world laughs with you. Weep and you weep alone.'"

Chad nodded. "So what are you going to do?"

Troy stood, beginning to make his way over to the vivacious brunette. "I'm gonna laugh."


	11. Tolley Humanities Building

**Hello all! How are you all on this fine, fine evening? I'm so sorry I haven't updated in two weeks, but this semester is much more difficult than last semester. I tried to update last week, but I had two five-page papers write. Boo. But anyway, thank you all for your incredible reviews. You're so amazing and I can't get over it. I just love you all. By the way, you're welcome for finally getting Troy and Gabriella together, lol. But that doesn't mean the drama's over, does it? ;)**

**I do not own nor am I affiliated with Syracuse University, Disney, High School Musical, or Taylor Swift. Please read, review, and enjoy!**

* * *

Bleeding Orange

Chapter Eleven: Tolley Humanities Building

…

"_There's the silence  
There's my last chance  
I stand up with shaky hands  
All eyes on me…_"

_~ "_**_Speak Now_**_," Taylor Swift_

…

"I can't believe you! I thought we were _friends?_ I thought we were roommates! How could you do that to me?"

"How could _I_ do that to _you?_ What about you? You just left me there! You knew I don't party and you just _left_ me there!"

Troy could hear Sharpay and Gabriella's argument as he approached the roommates and knew it probably wasn't wise to get involved, but he was done worrying about what other people thought. He was done _caring_, he wanted to _feel_. He knew he had feelings for Gabriella and if he was even remotely good at guessing, he could say that she probably- possibly- felt _something _for him too. He had been waiting for this moment for a while now and now was the time. It was now or never. He reached the roommates who glanced towards him and took a deep breath.

It was then he realized he didn't know what he was going to say.

"What, Bolton?" Sharpay snapped. "We're in the middle of something here."

"I need to steal Gabriella from you," Troy said and Gabriella sighed with relief.

"God, thank you. She's been harping at me for twenty minutes about this," Gabriella frowned. "Go talk to Zeke."

She and Troy turned away but Sharpay shrieked, "I'm not even through talking to _you_ yet!"

"Really? I think you are," Gabriella replied smartly, following Troy towards the door to the stairwell, which he pushed open and ascended a few flights before sitting down and motioning for her to sit beside him.

"The stairwell?" She giggled, plopping down next to him. "We could've just gone upstairs to my room."

"Yeah, well," He scratched the back of his neck in nervousness. "I didn't think about that."

It was a motion Gabriella had learned to pick up on since she had been friends with him for quite some time, and it didn't go unnoticed. "Are you alright? You seem really anxious, or something."

"I did a lot of thinking over break," He told her and could tell he had her full attention. "About myself. About Courtney. And… about you."

"Me?" Her heart sped up, her breathing became ragged, and she found herself blinking rapidly. "Really?"

"Yeah," Troy glanced away apprehensively. "See, I… I've had feelings for you ever since we kissed at that football game in September. It was actually hard watching you with Aaron, because I really, really liked you."

A small smile crept onto Gabriella's lips. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I don't know," He sighed. "I didn't think you… felt that way. But then that night before break, when you asked if I was the kind of guy you deserved- and I completely blew my chance, by the way- I figured _maybe_ you felt, I don't know, something. But at the same time I was still really confused over my feelings for Courtney… until I saw her at my friend's New Year's Party."

Gabriella bit her lip and wondered why she was feeling jealous of this girl she'd never met, his _ex_-girlfriend. "How… was that?"

"Tense," Troy admitted. "But it was good, because I realized I didn't feel _anything_ for her anymore. Call it closure, but I've finally moved on. Plus, seeing her made me realize that I still really, really liked you and I was being ridiculous by not saying anything. Chad and Zeke were on me _all the time_ about not saying anything or being a wuss. But I just couldn't… I couldn't _do_ anything because I was nervous, or whatever. I was afraid of what you would say."

"But I'm doing it anyway, because I've waited long enough. You won't hurt my feelings if you say no, but at least I'll know I asked," Troy inhaled and exhaled deeply. "Gabriella, I really, really like you. Will you… go out with me?"

"Of course," She grinned and he sighed with relief. "Did you think I would say no?"

"I don't know," Troy shrugged, a smile on his face. "I didn't know how you felt about this. About me."

"Wow, you _are_ blind," Gabriella teased and Troy's eyes widened. "Troy, I really like you too. Who wouldn't like you? You've been so good to me these past few months with everything that's happened and you're always so nice to me and caring and hilarious. I've liked you for a while too, but Sharpay and Taylor had me convinced you wouldn't do anything, so I thought I'd try someone else on for size. Guess we know how that ended, huh?"

"He's not worth it, Gabriella." Troy stated and Gabriella nodded her agreement.

"I know," She said. "I guess someone who _really_ liked me wouldn't have done something like that, right?"

"Exactly," Troy nodded. "I would _never_ do that to you."

Grinning, her eyes sparkled as she replied, "I know."

There was a pause in conversation before Troy winked and asked, "Can I kiss you now?"

"Yeah," Gabriella giggled and then stopped him briefly before they connected. "But for future reference, you don't have to ask."

Troy chuckled. "Duly noted."

Without further ado, he leaned in, as did she, and their lips met halfway. Her eyes closed blissfully as the pleasure of the situation took over her body, mind, and soul. She reached for him, wanting to feel closer, if that was possible, and wrapped her arms around his torso, scooting closer to him on the cold vinyl step. Troy's hands reached up to cup her face in his palms, his thumbs rubbing her smooth skin sweetly. She smelled of strawberries and honey, her hair was soft as silk; Troy couldn't help but think she was just so _heavenly_. This was finally real. Everything he'd wanted since that first football game was finally realized and it felt perfect.

Her lips were soft and supple, his were warm and caressing. This first kiss- or, second if you wanted to get technical about it- was in all ways pleasurable and even though it was on a random step in a stairwell, they wouldn't change a thing. It didn't matter that Gabriella had been hardened to reality by Aaron's deception and it didn't matter that Troy had been hurt by his and Courtney's relationship. It didn't matter that their group of friends had teased them incessantly before they confessed their feelings and would continue to do so as time went on.

All that mattered now was that their feelings were out in the open and they were ready to give this a try.

"So," Troy spoke softly once they had pulled away, slipping his hand into hers. "Are we official, girlfriend?"

"We're official," Gabriella confirmed, squeezing his hand. "Boyfriend."

* * *

The second semester started off on the right foot as January melted then froze again into February. February started with sub-zero temperatures and icy winds that beat wickedly at the faces of all Syracuse students as they walked to class. Students received the cautionary e-mail from SU Health Services about frostbite and hypothermia, but there was really no way to avoid going outside, except skipping class- but _that_ was never a good idea. Instead, they bundled up so only their eyes were shown, and sometimes not even they could be seen, and braved the freezing cold temperatures.

It was February eighth, a Tuesday, and Sharpay buttoned her coat and wrapped a scarf around her neck. She was planning on heading over to Marion Hall, where Zeke resided, to talk to him about what had happened the night before Christmas break. She had messed up. She had royally screwed up and she really didn't need Gabriella to point it out for her, _especially_ in front of Zeke of all people. She passed Gabriella in the hallway, who smiled and greeted her, but Sharpay just sighed and shook her head, still angry with her for spilling her secret.

Even though, deep down, she knew it was her fault.

She knocked three times on his dormitory door before hanging back and waiting for a response. His roommate Joel Harris opened the door, greeted Sharpay and allowed her to step into their room, informing the blonde that Zeke would be back from class in a few minutes if she wanted to wait for him. She nodded, plopping down on his bed as Joel left for class. She texted a few people and updated her Facebook page a few times before Zeke returned from class, sighing when he saw her.

"Hi," He greeted her shortly, tossing his backpack beside his bed and sitting down next to her.

"Hi," She replied. "We need to talk about that night."

"Yeah, I'm aware." He frowned. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't know!" Sharpay groaned. "I felt like it was better if you didn't know. I mean, I didn't want to hurt you."

"And what do you think this is doing to me?" He asked. "We can't have a relationship where we lie and keep secrets from each other."

Exhaling heavily, Sharpay looked down at her hands. "Are you breaking up with me? We've only been dating for a couple weeks."

Ironically, Zeke chuckled and took one of her hands. "I'm not breaking up with you. I'm still mad at you and it might take a while to get over, but I'm not breaking up with you."

"I can deal with that."

A pause, and then Zeke asked, "So did you sleep with this guy?"

Biting her lip, Sharpay shook her head. "We were making out at the party and he took my back to his apartment on South. But I was so drunk that I passed out on his couch before anything could happen."

"Jesus Sharpay," Zeke shook his head. "You're lucky he didn't take advantage of you."

"Yeah, I know. I would've killed him if I found that out."

"I'm pissed, don't get me wrong, but this was _technically_ before we were dating," Zeke finally said. "So I guess… I don't know."

"That still doesn't justify it, Zeke," Sharpay disagreed. "And I promise, I'll make it up to you."

"Sounds good to me," He smiled, nudging her shoulder. "Dinner tonight? The Bleu Monkey?"

"My treat," Sharpay grinned. "Ooh! It'll be so good. I haven't been there in a while!"

"So what time should I pick you up? Six?"

"Sounds good!" She shrieked, back to her usual self. "Oh God, I have to go get ready!"

Sharpay hopped off the bed, turning around momentarily to peck him on the lips. "I'll see you tonight! I'll have Daddy call ahead and see if he can get us a reservation for six, okay?"

Zeke shook his head, a chuckle erupting at his lips. "Sure. See you later."

Sharpay re-bundled in her pea coat, earmuffs, scarf, and mittens before exiting his bedroom and heading out into the harsh cold of the late afternoon. She hurried her way back up the intense hill towards Booth Hall, swiped her I.D. card, and let herself into the building, chirping happily and nearly skipping towards the stairwell. She took the stairs two at a time, greeted her RA and another student who lived on her floor in the hallway, and then let herself in her room, tossing her trimmings aside and turning to greet Gabriella.

She jumped when she noticed Troy was seated beside her as well.

"Oh, I should've expected you'd be here," She said. "What's up?"

"Just doing homework," Gabriella answered, motioning towards their matching notebooks and copies of _Measure for Measure_. "What's going on with you? You seem… excited."

"Zeke and I are good again," Sharpay grinned and then gasped. "I have nothing to wear tonight!"

"For what?"

"We're going to dinner at The Bleu Monkey on Marshall Street," Sharpay explained, stepping up to the dresser to peer into the mirror. "And I have _no_ idea what to wear."

"What does it matter?" Troy asked. "You'll just be wearing a coat over it anyway. It's fucking _freezing_ outside."

"Can it, Bolton." Sharpay narrowed her eyes. "Do you know anything about girls? It doesn't matter that I'll be wearing a coat! I still have to look nice!"

"I really don't think that Zeke cares."

"That's funny. I don't remember asking your opinion." Sharpay replied, tearing open her closet and throwing out possible outfits. "Too many sequins, too many rhinestones, ugh, too much _pink_."

Proceeding to ignore her, Troy and Gabriella turned back to their homework- analyzing the use of characterization in Shakespeare's _Measure for Measure_. "I don't like any of these people. I know we're probably supposed to like Isabella or whatever, but she's… kind of a dumb bitch."

Gabriella giggled. "She is. She's really hypocritical. But the Duke is just as bad. He's supposed to be this good character, but he's going around manipulating people and playing with their emotions to get everything to work out. I don't know. It seems unethical."

"And Angelo? Don't get me started on that bastard," Troy started and Gabriella laughed out loud. "Abusing his power and all. I like that one line the Duke says: 'Shame to him, whose cruel striking/ Kills for faults of his own liking./ Twice treble shame on Angelo,/ To weed my vice, and let his grow.' Smart dude."

"Basically, this play just sucks," Gabriella concluded. "Although I do have to admit the tagline is kind of hilarious. 'Sex- or your brother dies!' Sounds like a horribly made porno-murder-mystery."

Troy nodded. "I couldn't agree more. What play are we reading next? Hopefully it's better than this."

"_A Doll's House_ and it's way better," Gabriella stated. "We read it junior year. It's about this woman who's married to the head of a bank and has three young children, but she's never had a chance to be her own person. She's always been the daughter to her father and the wife to her husband and she can't stand being told to do things and not being able to live her own life."

"Where do the dolls come into play?" Troy asked and Gabriella laughed.

"They don't!" She explained. "It's a metaphor. Nora- that's the main character- is controlled by her husband so intensely that she feels like she can't even breathe without him doing it for her. Hence, she's being controlled by him like she is in a doll's house."

"You did _not_ just use the word 'hence,'" Troy teased.

"Oh, I think I did. By the way, this paper is five pages and due next Thursday. _Hence_, I suggest we try getting it done."

Grinning, Troy began twirling a lock of her hair around his finger. "We have a whole week. Why do we have to start it now?"

"Better question: why _wouldn't_ we start it now?" Gabriella asked, reclaiming her hair and focusing on her laptop screen. "Besides, I have to read eighty pages of that ethnography for Anthropology before recitation tomorrow, so I'd like to get _something_ done."

Troy nodded his agreement and the two began to type away at their respective computers. But Troy never dropped contact with her, his left hand rubbing circles on her knee as he flipped through the pages of the play with his right. Every few moments, Gabriella would glance up distractedly at the patterns he was tracing and grin, but then get frustrated with herself for her inability to focus on schoolwork. Finally, she glanced up at Troy and made eye contact with him, sighing in frustration.

"You're distracting me."

"You're distracting me too," Troy grinned. "Let's stop doing work."

"We can't," Gabriella shook her head. "We have to get this paper done."

"How about we go get some dinner at Ernie, come back and you can do Anthropology while I do History, and we leave this paper for the weekend?" Troy suggested and Gabriella grinned.

"Alright. Sounds like a plan!" She said gleefully. "Hurray for compromise."

Troy nodded and leaned in to kiss her, Gabriella responding enthusiastically. Sharpay groaned from the other side of the room. "If you guys want me to leave, just say so."

"Damn, all we had to do was _say_ so?" Troy asked sarcastically and Sharpay scoffed.

"Fine Bolton, whatever you say." She muttered sardonically, gathering things for her date into her purse. "I'm _so_ glad you finally grew some balls and made your move."

But newfound couple ignored her, and they hardly noticed when a few moments later, the door slammed behind her. They had rediscovered each other's lips, hands became tangled in hair, and all thoughts of five-page papers and Shakespeare had been left behind. There was something about Troy and Gabriella, something almost chemical about their relationship. When they met, the reaction was powerful and fierce, like one strong connection that could not be broken. They were like two puzzle pieces, a perfect match that just fit together instantly.

When they first kissed a few weeks ago, they couldn't believe they hadn't been doing it all along.

* * *

On Friday February eleventh, the gang of friends found themselves on a Connective Corridor bus trip to DeWitt, where Wegmans was located. Wegmans was a large grocery store, bakery, and restaurant combined into one and was an epic food experience to residents and visitors alike. Syracuse University had organized a trip to Wegmans for the day so any students who wanted to could purchase a bus ticket and get some grocery shopping done. On the bus ride over, Troy had paired up with Gabriella, Sharpay with Zeke, and Chad with Taylor, leaving Kelsi to sit with a stranger. Taylor was content to watch the city of Syracuse rush by her eyes, but Chad continued to insist they strike up a conversation.

"Would you go out with me if I was smarter?"

Taylor shot him and odd glance. "What?"

"I'm just curious," Chad wondered. "As to why you keep refusing me."

"I'm not in the place for dating right now," Taylor admitted. "I just want to focus on my schoolwork."

"Exactly," Chad said. "So would you go out with me if I was smarter?"

"You're not unintelligent," Taylor disagreed. "You just say things sometimes that are… well, unrealistic."

"Fair enough," Chad accepted. "Would you go out with me if I was going for pre-law too?"

"I don't know," Taylor shook her head. "Why are you asking these questions?"

"I'm determined to change," Chad informed her. "Would you go out with me if I didn't drink as much?"

"Maybe."

"What about if I stopped talking about sex and girls all the time?"

"That would be nice."

"I don't know, that's kind of my gimmick."

"Chad," Taylor broke into his thoughts. "You're cute, but narcissistic and I can't be bothered with that right now."

The bus pulled to a stop and the students began to depart, but Chad smiled hopefully. "Okay, not bad. She _did_ say I was cute."

The gang spent an entire hour snooping around the store, not really buying anything, but enjoying and marveling at the variety of foodstuff Wegmans had to offer. They joked around about the shopping carts the store carried, which were shorter and double-deckered so you could buy more items and store them on top and bottom. But the real fun when they came to the back of the store; next to the frozen food aisle was the vegan section, which was empty of customers. Troy and Chad took one look at each other and grins grew on both of their faces.

"What's that look for?" Taylor questioned suspiciously and Chad grinned even wider.

"Okay! Split up into teams! We're about to have some serious fun."

"Teams?" Gabriella asked. "For what?"

"Shopping cart races," Troy filled in, removing the items from his cart. "Chad and I used to do this all the time at home. Our friend Jason works at the grocery store back home and we used to get into all kinds of trouble. But it's so much fun."

"Sounds… like a uniquely college experience, I guess," Taylor commented. "But I'll pass."

"I don't have to _sit_ in that thing, do I?" Sharpay scrunched her nose.

"Aren't we going to get in trouble?" Kelsi worried.

"Wow, you guys do not know how to have fun," Zeke stated outwardly. "I'm in."

"Me too," Gabriella agreed, much to the surprise of the rest of her female companions. "What? It sounds fun."

"Fine," Sharpay grumbled. "I'll do it."

"I guess so," Taylor rolled her eyes.

"I'm still not sure," Kelsi bit her lip, remaining undecided.

"That's fine," Chad told the girl who gratefully took the leave. "You stand at the other end of the aisle and tell us who crosses the finish line first."

Kelsi obeyed, walking the short distance to the end of the row of food. Chad turned back to the group. "Alright, couple it up, I guess?"

Zeke turned to Sharpay, motioning towards their cart. "You wanna get in first?"

"I told you, I'm _not_ sitting in that thing."

He shrugged. "Suit yourself."

So it was decided the guys would ride first as the girls pushed. Chad, in the middle cart being pushed by Taylor, shouted, "Okay, rules are the pusher must push the cart to the middle of the aisle and let go. Then, based on momentum, the person who crosses the finish line first wins."

"This is ridiculous," Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Like you need rules to push three idiots down an aisle in shopping carts."

Chad frowned. "I am not amused, Evans. Kelsi? Count down for us!"

"We better win," Troy whispered to Gabriella, who chuckled and shook her head.

"I can't guarantee that. I have skinny arms and just _how_ much do you weigh?"

He pretended to scoff and be offended and she only giggled. "Wow Gab, that hurt. I'm not sure what to say to you right now."

"Three, two, one… GO!" Kelsi shouted, tossing a nervous look over her shoulder.

"Save it," Gabriella stated before pushing the cart and beginning to run down the long corridor.

She was hardly aware of Sharpay and Taylor pushing Zeke and Chad beside her as she sprinted down the aisle and stopped where directed, giving a final push as she let go. She stepped back and admired her work, grinning satisfactorily as Troy reached the end of the aisle just moments before Chad and Zeke did, in unison. She had to admit, this was pretty enjoyable. Troy looked like an idiot, all crammed into this small space, his knees sticking out of the cart on both sides. He jumped out and leapt up to give Gabriella a congratulatory kiss, much to the dismay of the Chad and Zeke, the losers. When Troy proceeded to prance around his friends, calling them losers, of course, Sharpay growled,

"Oh come on, Troy. I think we're _all_ losers, here. We're college freshmen pushing ourselves in fucking _shopping carts_!"

But now the tables were turned- the girls were perched inside the carts, their respective paramours standing behind them, ready to push them to victory. Kelsi counted down from three and they were off, with Chad and Taylor clearly in the lead. In an effort to come out ahead, Troy began to push faster and completely ignored Gabriella's plea to be careful of the fourth faulty wheel on their cart. At the end of the aisle, the wheel suddenly turned sideways, careening the cart and Gabriella towards the display of oranges, but not before colliding with Sharpay. Kelsi jumped out of the way of the two carts just in time for Sharpay and Gabriella to crash into the table full of oranges and tumble onto the floor with a hard crash.

"_Bolton_!" Sharpay screamed, attempting to pull herself up from the mass of oranges and metal. "What the _fuck?_"

Troy's eyes widened as he ran up the girls. "I'm _so_ sorry! I should've listened to you!"

"You're _damn_ right you should've listened to her!" Sharpay shrieked. "Now, I'm lying on the _floor!_ Ew!"

But Gabriella was in hysterical laughter as she and Sharpay pulled themselves off the floor and turned the carts upright again. "That was _so_ much fun!"

Troy chuckled as he cradled her arm. "You're bleeding."

"I don't care! That was awesome!" She grinned. Let's do that again!"

Chad shook his head, pointing towards the end of the aisle once more. "I don't think that's such a good idea."

Troy's eyes widened once more as he noticed three very angry employees approaching them. He slipped his hand through Gabriella's and asked, "How fast can you run?"

Gabriella turned to make a break for it. "Very."


	12. Shaffer Art Building

**Hello friends... I know you're about ready to kill me, right? I realize it's been like three months. I know. But I've been bogged down with papers galore- did I mention I was an English major? Big mistake- and lots of final exams. That's the bad news. Here's the good news! School's out for the four-month-long summer and I'm yours for all of it. I'm home and ready to write like crazy. I have a new story idea too, but I won't even get into that until "Bleeding Orange" is done haha.**

**So hopefully you've all been well and not drowning under school work like I have been. But college is a bitch, there's no doubt about it. Plus, I tried my hand at writing for another fandom when I had downtime instead of writing this story... Sorry. I know, I know. Throw garbage at me if you must. I do not own, still, nor am I affiliated with Syracuse University, Disney, High School Musical, or its characters. I own this plot and that's really it. Same goes for the A*Teens and this song. Remember the A*Teens? I loved them... **

* * *

Bleeding Orange

Chapter Twelve: Shaffer Art Building

…

"_My grades are down from A's to D's  
I'm way behind in history  
I've lost myself in fantasies  
Of you and me together…"_

_~ "__**Bouncing Off the Ceiling**__," A*Teens_

…

They managed to escape the grocery store without getting into trouble, after Taylor rambled on to a few of the employees about suing for Gabriella's personal injury. She realized later that if they had _actually_ sued, they wouldn't win, because she was sure the employees would bring up how they were playing rather recklessly in their shopping carts that were obviously not made for racing. But beside that point, they got away scot-free and ended up boarding the bus back to school without any harm- and with Gabriella's open wound fully cleaned and bandaged.

Two days later, on the thirteenth, Sharpay had come up with the idea that they should try their hand at the other bus route and head over to the Carousel Mall, which was just up an exit or two on the thruway. Everyone had agreed and they found themselves getting off the bus and rushing into the already-crowded mall. They divided the group by gender fairly quickly and the guys wandered aimlessly through the packed corridors, window-shopping as the girls took off, knowing exactly where they wanted to go and why they came.

"So, Valentine's Day is tomorrow," Zeke grinned. "What do you guys have planned?"

"Is it bad if I say nothing?" Troy asked. "Gabriella and I have been dating for a month and I'm not sure what to do."

"Well I'm in the same boat," Zeke sighed. "Shar and I have only been going out about a month and a half. What do you even do for Valentine's Day when you barely know someone?"

"At least you guys _have_ girlfriends," Chad grumbled. "Don't get me started on my problem."

Zeke and Troy simply glanced at him. "Okay."

They continued sharing ideas for Valentine's Day as Chad frowned. "Guys, I was being _sarcastic_. A little help would be nice, here."

"Well if you want my advice," Zeke began. "Forget all this pretentious 'would you go out with me if..?' crap. Just ask her out."

"I can't do _that_," Chad wrung his hands nervously. "What if she turns me down?"

"So she turns you down? So what?" Troy asked. "It's going to be a gamble either way, but you'll never know if you don't _try_."

Chad frowned. "I hate that you're right all the time."

"What can I say? I'm a natural at this stuff." He chuckled. "So now you can help me. What should I get Gabriella for Valentine's Day?"

"Uh, me too, please?" Zeke asked. "I was thinking jewelry, but Sharpay seems like a really hard person to shop for, so now I'm not so sure."

"Flowers or chocolate," Chad deadpanned. "There. Problem solved."

Zeke and Troy shared a glance. _Someone_ was bitter.

Meanwhile across the concourse, the girls were pawing through racks of clothing at H&M, Gabriella and Kelsi going crazy over finding items that matched or were on sale, whereas Taylor and Sharpay were trying on gaudy sunglasses and chunky jewelry. "Bulletproof" by La Roux was filtering through the speakers, adding a fun soundtrack to their shopping atmosphere, but Sharpay cringed each time the singer hit a high note. "She's hitting notes only dogs can hear."

"Then how are you reacting?" Gabriella teased smartly, Kelsi giggling beside her.

"Ha ha, Montez. You're so hilarious," Sharpay frowned. "Who asked your opinion anyway?"

"No one," Gabriella said. "But that's the best part about freedom of speech. I can say whatever I want, when I want."

"Whatever," Sharpay responded. "You guys are annoying, anyway."

"Oh! That reminds me," Taylor exclaimed, noticing Sharpay pick up a garish pair of heart-shaped earrings. "The 'I Hate Valentine's Day' Party is tomorrow night at seven in my and Kelsi's room. There will be anti-Valentine's Day cupcakes, party hats, a viewing of the movie _Valentine's Day_, and of course, chocolate! You'll both be there, right?"

Sharpay and Gabriella shared a glance. "Probably not."

"What?" Taylor whined. "Why not?"

"Taylor, I know you're really bitter," Sharpay started out and Taylor rolled her eyes. "But we don't hate Valentine's Day."

"Yeah, this is the first year I've had a boyfriend on Valentine's Day and I'm actually pretty excited about it," Gabriella told her best friend. "But I'm sure your party will be a success."

"Doubt it," Taylor frowned. "I'm extremely jealous of you two."

"You know you always have Chad," Kelsi suggested innocently as Gabriella and Sharpay snickered. "He has a huge crush on you and you keep turning him down."

"I don't know, it's complicated," Taylor shook her head, placing the pair of shoes she had been eyeing back on the rack. "I like him, but at the same time, I feel like I don't have enough time to dedicate to a relationship right now. My undergrad program is _so_ intense. I barely have time for anything!"

"Taylor, who do you think you're dating? Octomom's kids?" Sharpay asked and Taylor glared at her. "How much time do you think you need to devote to a relationship? I mean, this isn't a four-course meal you're planning. You just need to relax. Live a little. Go with the flow."

"I don't 'go with the flow'," Taylor stated. "I'm nowhere near the flow. If the flow is in California, I'm in London. Do you understand me?"

"I do not understand what California and London have to do with anything," Sharpay stated. "But honestly, you need to stop being so meticulous and particular about everything. And stop turning the boy down. You're lucky he hasn't moved on yet."

"More like, _why hasn't he_ moved on yet," Taylor disagreed as Gabriella shook her head.

"That would bug you even more," She said knowingly. "You'd be jealous of whoever his new interest is and then you'd complain about missing your chance with him."

"She's right," Sharpay advised. "And if I could just give you the tiniest bit of advice, I say just say you'll go out with him. You should be lucky that a guy wants you at all, Taylor. I mean, you dress like a politician's wife and you're majoring in one of the _dumbest_ programs out there. Pre-law? Seriously? Like this world needs _any_ more lawyers!"

Taylor grew indignant and Kelsi sought this opportunity to lead the blonde away from the situation. "Oh, Shar? Can I have your opinion on these shoes I saw over here? I don't know if they're my type…"

Sharpay gasped excitedly. "I've been _waiting_ for you to enlist my fashion expertise!"

As the two hurried away, Taylor turned to Gabriella, still fuming. The brunette shook her head. "Don't listen to her. Well, about the clothing and major thing. But about Chad? I think she's right. Give him a chance, Tay. Put away that hardened female pride for a little while and let someone take care of you."

Taylor bit her lip. "Oh, alright."

* * *

"Oh! Kelsi! Have you seen my _new bracelet?_" Sharpay squealed. "Zeke got it for me today, for Valentine's Day. Isn't it gorgeous?"

Kelsi inwardly sighed. "Yes Sharpay."

"Did I tell you the story behind it? You'll just _die_," Sharpay went on to the group, who was barely listening. "He pretended like he forgot that today was Valentine's Day, and then-"

"Gave you the bracelet as an apology," Troy continued with a sigh.

"And when you read it, it said _Happy Valentine's Day_," Gabriella finished. "And couldn't you just _die?_"

"Shar," Zeke prefaced. "I, uh… I think they get it."

The entire group, sans Chad at the moment, was congregated in Taylor and Kelsi's room on the fifth floor of DellPlain Hall. Kelsi was perched on her desk chair, Zeke and Sharpay on her bed, with Taylor on her bed and Troy and Gabriella on a heap of pillows on the floor. Cupcakes had been distributed and the piñata had been hung, ready for a whacking as the "I Hate Valentine's Day" party commenced. Somehow, Taylor had guilted the entire group into attending; therefore they were relaxed around the television, getting ready for a viewing of _Valentine's Day_.

"Well _excuse me_ for being excited," Sharpay huffed, leaning back against Kelsi's pillows. "And _yes_, actually, I could just die!"

"You know what, this is going to sound cliché," Troy stated, reaching for another chocolate out of the box he had bought Gabriella. "But I cannot _stand_ Valentine's Day."

Gabriella smirked. "The movie or the holiday?"

"Both," He stated honestly. "And it's all because of people like Sharpay and Zeke. Zeke, for getting Sharpay an actual gift- an _expensive_ gift- that makes people like me look bad. And Sharpay for being the person to brag about it that, really, only rubs salt into the wound."

Gabriella quirked an eyebrow at him. "What about this situation makes you look bad?"

"Well… I don't know… I only got you chocolates and not some fancy schmancy bracelet that costs more than my life…"

She rolled her eyes. "Well good, because that would have been unnecessary. Listen, I don't care about 'fancy schmancy' presents. I just want to spend time with you… Even if it is at Taylor's 'I Hate Valentine's Day' party."

Troy grinned. "But you like the chocolates, right?"

"Of course," She giggled. "What girl is going to say no to chocolates?"

"Okay, okay!" Taylor shrieked. "It's time for the movie! Is everyone comfortable?"

"As comfortable as we can be on the floor," Troy answered and Taylor shot him a glare.

"Quiet Bolton," She hushed. "Okay… Wait, where's Chad?"

The remaining five friends glanced around knowingly and inconspicuously shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe he's running a little late."

"Well, the movie waits for no one," Taylor decided, pressing play just as there was a small knock on her door. "Damn it, Chad!"

As the opening credits rolled, Taylor pushed off of her bed, careful not to knock over the tray of cupcakes or the oversized bowl of popcorn. Sliding off her bed, Taylor sidestepped the bottles of water and soda and carefully tip-toed over Troy and Gabriella, who teased her for her inability to host more than three people in the room. She rolled her eyes at them and walked the short distance to the threshold of the room, checking the peephole quickly to be sure it was Chad before swinging the door open.

Chad was standing before her, dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a light blue button down over his plain white t-shirt. He had an anxious air about him; he was shifting his weight from one foot to the other and drumming the fingers of his left hand against his leg apprehensively. When he first set eyes on her, his face brightened with a smile, but even that seemed to stem from nervousness. Taylor stepped into the hallway and closed the door behind her, rolling her eyes as she heard the disappointed groans emanate from the room, so she knew her friends had been watching. Before she could greet him, Chad removed his right hand from behind his back, where he was hiding a bouquet of lavender and white tulips.

"Happy Valentine's Day," He grinned, handing the bouquet to her and enjoying the look of utter shock on her face. "You told me your favorite color was purple and, well, I know how much you like tulips."

"I do," Taylor nodded, cradling the bouquet and grinning like crazy. "Thank you. How'd you remember?"

He shrugged. "It seemed important. I just hope I didn't insult you. I mean, I know this is an 'I Hate Valentine's Day' party and all, but I just figured-"

"No! No, no, no, you didn't insult me, not at all," Taylor rambled, cutting Chad off. "You're fine. You're great, actually. Thank you. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome," He chuckled nervously, toying with the hem of his shirt. "I'm going to do this now, okay? I know how much it annoys you when I ask you all of these conditional questions about whether you'd go out with me or not in certain situations. This is going to be a complete gamble, but don't be afraid of disappointing me or whatever. Whatever you say isn't going to ruin our friendship or whatever we have. But I'm just going to come right out and ask you."

Taylor smirked, a small blush rising on her cheeks. "Okay."

"Taylor McKessie, don't feel bad about turning me down if you want to," He began. "But will you please go out with me?"

"Chad Danforth, you really need to learn not to preface things with disappointment," She answered. "But yes, I will go out with you."

He stared back at her in surprise. "Really? You will?"

"Yeah," She nodded. "I've been thinking about it a lot, actually, and I feel bad for turning you down all of these times. Plus-"

"You mean," Chad cut her off. "If I had stopped being such an idiot all this time and just _asked_ you, you would've said yes a long time ago?"

She shrugged. "Maybe. I'm not saying I definitely would have agreed beforehand, but it's quite possible."

"Wow," Chad shook his head. "Troy and Zeke were right. I _definitely_ should've just asked you."

* * *

As the brutal February finally drew to a close and faded into March, Syracuse Stage put on its final play of the year, _Lysistrata_, in which Kelsi and Sharpay were once again starring. Sharpay had a much bigger role this time and though everyone came out to support the two, they were much more focused on their upcoming midterms and the Big East tournament basketball game against Villanova. Plus, with Troy and Gabriella dating and Chad and Taylor in a newfound relationship, the play was the last thing on everyone's minds. Sharpay was, of course, indignant, and claimed the two couples were "stealing her thunder."

A week following the performance, Troy and Gabriella realized that they had never really been on a first date and were determined to change this with their trip to Armory Square. Armory Square was the culture-rich downtown Syracuse- away from the ghettos and the school- that held shops, restaurants, and museums for everyone to experience the magic of the city. Just a short bus ride from campus brought them to the center of the culture, where they had booked a reservation at Pastabilities, a small, gourmet pasta restaurant they heard was absolutely delicious and were excited to try for themselves.

"This is cute, isn't it?" Gabriella asked when they were seated. "It's so cozy and adorable."

"Yeah," Troy's eyes went wide upon looking over the menu. "And _expensive_."

"I told you a million times I'm paying my way," Gabriella stated adamantly and sighed in frustration when Troy shook his head in disapproval.

"And I told _you_ a million times that, no, you're not," Troy expressed. "Anyway, forget about that. What's new with you?"

"Not much since I saw you yesterday," Gabriella chuckled. "How were classes today?"

"You know what? Do not rub in the fact that you don't have Friday classes," He frowned and she continued to giggle. "How do you manage to do that?"

"It's quite simple, really," Gabriella advised. "I just don't schedule classes on Fridays. Viola."

"Yeah, but the only classes I'm taking are required to complete the liberal arts core," Troy stated. "How do you get out of those?"

"I don't," She shook her head. "I just take ones that aren't offered on Fridays."

Troy stared at her in awe. "Well played, Montez."

"It's not that difficult to figure out, trust me," She grinned. "So can you believe it's midterm already? We only have a couple weeks after spring break and then we're done with freshman year. It went by _so_ fast!"

"I know," Troy agreed. "I feel like I just got here and now I have to leave."

"Although I am looking forward to summer for two reasons," Gabriella said. "Going back to work and getting out of this awful weather."

"I second that last one," Troy nodded. "What about leaving everyone? Most importantly, me?"

She laughed out loud and he winked, adding jokingly, "I didn't know our entire relationship was that laughable, Montez."

"Wait," She stopped laughing, her face growing serious. "We're _really_ together? Like, _together _together? I thought this was just a joke…"

Troy paused, unsure, and Gabriella burst into another set of giggles. "Oh my God, you should've seen your face."

"You're not funny," He teased, tapping her foot lightly with his own. "Stick to your day job."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "I will. And for your information, _yes_, I will miss you insanely. But you're going to come visit me like all the time, so no big deal."

"Oh I am, am I?" He laughed. "I get no say in this?"

"Nope."

"Fine by me."

Gabriella grinned. "I'll come visit you too. I've never been to Connecticut."

Troy shrugged. "You're not missing much. But it'll be fun. My Mom already loves you and my sisters are _dying_ to make fun of me some more by showing you all my baby pictures and home videos."

She chuckled. "I knew I always liked them."

He grinned. "They like you, too."

Their pasta was served moments later and they were lost in enjoying their scrumptious meal before Troy asked, "So how ridiculous is it that Professor West assigned us a five-page paper over break?"

Gabriella rolled her eyes, twirling some linguini noodles around her fork and eating before answering. "Three to five pages, actually, and it's not due until the Thursday after we come back. We have a ton of time."

"Right," Troy stated, pointing his fork at her to make a point. "But some of us have a Big East tournament game to play in and don't have time to be comparing and contrasting Henrik Ibsen's plays."

Gabriella eyed him. "Are you nervous?"

"No, I'm sure I'll get it done. It just means I have to bring all my work home with me-"

She rolled her eyes. "_Troy_. I'm not talking about that stupid essay."

His blue eyes rose to meet hers. "I know."

"Are you really that nervous?" Gabriella pursued. "I'm sure everything will be fine."

"It's not really that," He stated casually. "It's more like… I don't know. This is the _Big East_ tournament, Gab. I used to watch this with my Dad every year and now I'm playing in it? It's just crazy. I mean, it's in New York City, at Madison Square Garden. The whole _country_ will be watching, for God's sake. And if I screw up… _Everyone_ will know."

"You won't screw up," Gabriella said but Troy still looked at her disbelievingly.

"But what if I do?"

"You won't."

"But what if I do?"

"You _won't_," She stated adamantly. "I just know."

Troy nodded, this time truly believing her. "Okay. I hope not."

"I promise," She grinned cheekily as they paid for their dinner and began putting their coats on again. "Come on; let's get back to campus so we can watch _The Soup_!"

Troy rolled his eyes. "Please explain to me your fascination with this Joel McHale character."

"What's not to love?" Gabriella swooned as they left the restaurant, lacing her fingers with his as they walked down the street and towards the bus stop. "He's gorgeous and hilarious. Perfect combination."

"I can be hilarious," He murmured and then turned to her. "Really! I can! Okay, two blondes are lying on top of a hill in Georgia at night. They're looking at the moon and one of them asks, 'Which do you think is further away- the moon or Florida?' The other one replies, 'Florida.' The first one asks why and the second one responds, 'Hello! Can you _see_ Florida?' See? Funny, right?"

Gabriella laughed, but not at his joke. She pecked his lips pensively. "Troy?"

"Yeah?" He said hopefully.

"Baby," She kissed him again. "Don't quit your day job."

* * *

The weekend passed quickly with everyone writing papers and studying incessantly for midterms as spring break rapidly approached. Syracuse University was hosting its annual winter carnival in the Quad and in many other locations on campus; the carnival was held each year and featured events such as chili cook-off, human bowling, arts and crafts, and an ice sculpture contest and campus-wide snowball fight. All students were allowed to participate and it offered for a nice reprieve from the intense studying and cramming for exams most students were instead participating in.

Going alongside this, Chad and Troy were spending every waking second in basketball practices and scrimmages to gear themselves up for the Big East tournament game that Friday evening. They had had a more or less successful season; there were definitely games they should have won that they didn't, but they had a fairly good record and were expected to beat Villanova in the last game before spring break that weekend. As if the stress of midterms wasn't enough, Troy and Chad were anxious for the game and were ready for it to be over with.

As for now, though, it was a Tuesday night and the entire gang was situated in the Booth Hall first floor lounge, having a board game marathon.

"Okay, um," Sharpay was frantic. "He's a sidekick to a girl on a kid's show-"

Chad hit the buzzer. "Nope! You said 'kid's'!"

"Damn it," Sharpay swore in frustration, tossing the card aside. "Um… Oh! DPS has these…"

"Cars?" Gabriella guessed.

"Guns?" Taylor offered.

"No," Sharpay groaned. "They're like police, so-"

Chad hit the buzzer again. "You can't say 'police'!"

"Shit," Sharpay murmured again, chucking the card. "Okay… Oh! This is a verb. It means… uh, to make-"

"Sharpay!" Chad buzzed again. "You can't say 'make'!"

"Time's up," Troy called out and Sharpay plopped on the couch beside Kelsi.

"Fuck this game," She frowned. "I suck!"

They had just completed a round of Twister, and before that, Yahtzee, and were now playing Taboo- the game of unspeakable fun. Sharpay didn't quite get the concept of the game, however. The rules were simple; you chose a card that depicted a word and then several ways to define the word listed beneath it. The goal was to get your teammates to guess the listed word as you described it to them without using _any_ of the other words listed. Sharpay, however, used those words all the time. They were split guys versus girls and, even though the girls had the advantage of having an extra player, it all evened out because Sharpay didn't really play according to the rules.

"How many did we get?" Gabriella wondered and Zeke, the scorekeeper for the round, tallied up their total.

"Uh… Two."

"Two?" Taylor shouted. "Nice going, Shar."

"_Me_?" The blonde shrieked. "It's not my fault you guys are bad guessers!"

"It's not _our_ fault you're a bad describer," Taylor reiterated.

"Okay, okay," Gabriella broke up their little argument. "Who's going to be the buzzer for the guys?"

"I'll do it," Kelsi volunteered as Troy stepped up to describe the next few words to his teammates.

"Okay, ready?" Taylor, the timekeeper, called out, turning over the sand dial. "Go!"

"Do you want to keep score or should I?" Gabriella asked her roommate, who was still sulking.

"You do it," She answered bitterly. "I can't do _anything _right!"

"Okay," Troy read the first card. "This is a basketball free throw game and each time you miss a shot, you get a letter."

"Horse," Chad guessed and Troy nodded, grabbing another card.

"Um, the early bird catches the?" Troy asked.

"Worm!" Zeke shouted and Troy nodded his agreement.

"Hold on, 'bird' wasn't on that card?" Gabriella asked even though Troy continued. She grabbed the card he'd just discarded and scanned it. "Damn. It's not."

"You think I'd lie to you, Montez?" Troy winked and continued. "Anyway, um… Oh! _Community_ reference! El bigote de la cabra es?"

Zeke chuckled. "Cameron Diaz!"

Giggling, Taylor said, "Good one!"

"Okay," Grabbing another card, Troy frowned. "Cameron Diaz was also in a movie called?"

"_The Mask_," Chad guessed but Troy shook his head.

"_My Sister's Keeper_?" Zeke asked and again, was wrong.

"_Charlie's Angels?_"

"_There's Something About Mary_?"

"Guys, no!"

"Time's up!" Taylor shouted and Troy glared towards his friends.

"_Shrek_, guys. _Shrek!_"

"How were we supposed to know?"

"How many?" Kelsi asked and Gabriella tallied, frowning.

"Three," She said and the boys cheered.

"We win! Beat that, _suckas!_"

"We don't have to," Sharpay stated, packing away the game as she brought out the next one. "Because we're going to beat your asses in Mad Gab."

"Same teams!" Taylor shouted as they assembled the game board and cards quickly before beginning. "Let the best team win."

"Oh," Chad winked. "We plan to."

Moments later, Sharpay was, once again, reading to her team. "Bigger Scant Beach Who Seers."

"Beggars can't be choosers!" Gabriella shouted and Sharpay squealed in excitement.

"Yes!" She tossed the card away. "Run Hazel Wig Her."

"Renee Zellweger!" Kelsi yelled and Sharpay, again, nodded.

"Good job!" The next card read, "Her Rome Math Error Pee."

"Aroma therapy!" Taylor shrieked and Sharpay confirmed that it was correct.

"Yeah!" She grinned. "See? We're better at this game-"

"Sharpay! Keep going!"

"Too late," Chad stated. "Time's up. But you guys got eleven. Bitches."

They screamed with exhilaration, hugging excitedly and high-fiving one another. "We've got this!"

Zeke stood to read their cards to the guys, but it was clear they would not do as well. "You Says Dye Directed."

"Use as directed," Troy answered and Zeke nodded.

"Is Bunch Pops Queer Pans," He said but looked confused himself.

"Uh… I don't know."

"What the _fuck_ is that?"

"Spongebob Squarepants!" Zeke said with an eye roll and grabbed the next card. "Okay… What the _fuck?_ Ewe Nigh Ted Kink Dumb."

"United Kingdom."

"Hoe Pin-Up Hit Depot Lease," Zeke said finally and the other two looked stumped.

"Aaaaand time's up!" Taylor cheered. "We win!"

"By the way," Sharpay pointed out. "That last one was 'Open up, it's the police'."

Chad glared at her. "I _knew_ that."

"Sure you did."

Troy shook his head, turning to his girlfriend. "Good thing I'm not an English major, huh?"

Gabriella nodded, giggling. "Good thing."


	13. Schine Student Center

**Afternoon, all! How are ya? Hopefully nothing terrible has happened to you today; it is Friday the 13th, after all. =P So this is the beginning of the drama. Yeah, it's the climax alright. You know that there's no way I can write a story without drama lol. The thing with Aaron was a speed bump, not drama, just letting y'all know. ;) Anyway, it'll all work out, don't work yourselves into a frenzy. But please read and please enjoy! I promise everything will be explained in the near future.**

**I do not own nor am I affiliated with Syracuse University, Disney, High School Musical, its characters, or Maroon 5. Also, Syracuse's basketball coach is Jim Boeheim. I just didn't want to put his name in the story for obvious reasons. =P  
**

* * *

Bleeding Orange

Chapter Thirteen: Schine Student Center

…

"_It's not that I didn't care  
It's that I didn't know  
It's not what I didn't feel  
It's what I didn't show._"

~ "_**Misery**__," Maroon 5_

…

Wednesday night March ninth, Gabriella was studying for Anthropology midterm the next day and Sharpay mirrored her actions, studying furiously for history as they tried to focus on their tasks at hand instead of on the fun-filled weekend ahead and the upcoming spring break rendezvous in California. On Friday the Syracuse Orange would face off against the Villanova Wildcats in Madison Square Garden in New York City. Syracuse had organized a bus trip to the city for a handful of select students to go and watch the game, if they were willing to pay the price and ride in a bus for four and a half hours.

But to Gabriella and Taylor, the fee wasn't obnoxious and they were completely unwilling to let the opportunity to support their boyfriends in one of the biggest games of the year pass. They paid their way quickly and it wasn't long before Zeke, Kelsi, and Sharpay followed suit. They would ride down to the city early on Friday morning to be there for the game that evening and then would head back the following day. Then, on Sunday morning, the entire gang was headed to Sharpay Evans's beach house in California for their week-long spring break. It would be a lot of traveling in just three days, but they were ready and excited for it, to say the least.

"Okay, I've got it now," Sharpay stated, tossing her notes towards Gabriella's bed. "Quiz me."

"I have to study for my own midterm, Shar," Gabriella responded, not even lifting her gaze towards her roommate. "Quiz yourself."

"How can I do that?" Sharpay frowned. "Come on! Just help me out, here! You're a genius; you'll pass anthropology, I'm sure."

"Sharpay, you've got to be smart too," Gabriella stated, jotting something down in her notebook. "Or else you wouldn't have been accepted here."

"Psh. They accepted me because of my raw talent," Sharpay winked, tossing hair over her shoulder. "Come on! I know it all now. By heart!"

This caused Gabriella to meet the blonde's gaze. "You memorized the entire Constitution?"

"That I did!"

"Okay, this I've got to see," Gabriella pushed her books aside and snatched Sharpay's pink notebook holding all of her history notes. "Okay then. What are the first ten amendments called?"

"The Bill of Rights. What is this, first grade? Come on!" Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Get down to the nitty gritty! I know this stuff!"

"Fine, fine," Gabriella held her hands up in defense. "Recite the Preamble, please."

Rolling her eyes again, Sharpay cleared her throat and said, "We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

"Alright, nice work," Gabriella said, impressed, and Sharpay nodded.

"Thank you. Again, that's really not too difficult. Can we move on to some real stuff, please?"

"Okay fine, fine," She repeated. "Tell me what the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth amendments do."

"Easy. Thirteenth abolishes slavery, fourteenth defines citizenship and deals with post-Civil War issues, and fifteenth grants the right to vote to everyone except women," Sharpay grinned. "Bring it."

"What about the sixteenth and seventeenth?"

"Sixteenth allows the federal government to collect income tax," Sharpay recited. "And the seventeenth requires senators to be directly elected."

"Eighteenth and nineteenth?"

"Eighteenth establishes the prohibition of alcohol," Sharpay stated matter-of-factly. "This is repealed by the twenty-first amendment. The nineteenth allows for women's suffrage- which is a good thing, even though it sounds terrible."

Gabriella chuckled, rolling her eyes and tossing the notebook back at her friends. "You've got it."

"You didn't finish," Sharpay stated adamantly. "There's like, eight more I have to remember."

"And I'm sure you do," Gabriella remarked. "Now can I _please_ study? I'm trying to learn about rites of passage and gender roles."

"Ooh fun, fun, fun!" Sharpay chuckled sarcastically. "Don't worry, Gabriella. You and I are going to ace these exams and then we're going to get on a bus and ride a very long way to New York. Then, we're going to party it up like there's no tomorrow and cheer on your boyfriend so he hopefully brings the Orangemen to victory. Then, we're going to come back here and catch a plane to California and have the best spring break _ever!_"

"I love your plan, truly I do," Gabriella grinned. "But the part where we ace our midterms isn't going to happen if you don't _shut up!_"

Sharpay took the hint and the two regressed to studying in silence. But the silence didn't stay for very long. As usual, their floor was going crazy with bottled excitement over spring break and the final basketball game before finals, so everyone that lived there was in the hallway, cheering, screaming and enjoying each other's company before their resident advisor could tell them to settle down. Since it was midterm week, the floor was on a twenty-four-hour quiet hour schedule, meaning no one could make too much noise if they didn't want to be written up. But the reason they had gotten so worked up in the first place is because of the imminent arrival of two of the basketball teammates.

"Honey, I'm home!" Troy sang as he entered Sharpay and Gabriella's room, followed closely behind by Chad and Taylor.

"Oh great, Bolton's here," Sharpay frowned. "And I was worried my night would be _dull_."

"Can it, Evans," Troy stated, plopping down beside Gabriella on her bed. "Who said I came to visit you anyway?"

"Well _now_ I'm not getting any studying done," Gabriella rolled her eyes, closing her notebook and laptop and placing them aside. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Causing a ruckus," Sharpay answered for her. "You're all going to get us in trouble with Tara."

"Psh, Tara loves me, first of all," Chad stated adamantly. "And second of all, ruckus is my middle name!"

"I can tell how this weekend is going to go," Taylor laughed. "We're all going to get yelled at for being too loud in the hotel room."

"The party follows me wherever I go," Chad winked and Taylor rolled her eyes despite the smile on her face.

Sharpay gagged. "Okay you know what? With two couples here, I'm grossly outnumbered. Now's about the time for a bathroom break, I'd say."

She left the room and the moment she did, Chad and Taylor did as well, telling Troy they'd meet him at Ernie Davis for dinner as soon as he finished up here. Troy shook his head, his blue eyes coming to meet Gabriella's deep brown ones as he pressed a kiss to her lips. "I missed you. Have you entered the study coma yet?"

"Of course," She grinned. "I'm already in way over my head and I haven't even covered half of it yet."

"Yeah, but you'll be fine, Gab." Troy assured her. "Try not to over think it."

"It's hard not to. We have thirty multiple choice questions, five short answer questions, and one long essay question in just fifty-five minutes," Gabriella frowned. "There's no _way_ that'll be enough time for all of that."

"Even if it's not, there's nothing you can change about it, so don't get too stressed," Troy said. "We're going to New York City!"

"Yeah, I could tell you the same thing," She nudged his shoulder with her own. "Are you freaking out about the game still?"

He hesitated, and then nodded, scratching the back of his neck nervously. "Of course. It's not in my nature not to. But it'll be okay. You'll be there; that'll make me feel better."

She blushed, glancing away from him and then looking him in the eye again. "You really are a smooth talker, aren't you?"

"Not when it's true," He winked, kissing her again. "Anyway, do you want to come to dinner with us? We're headed to Ernie now."

"No thanks. Sharpay and I are ordering in tonight," Gabriella negated. "We're thinking Pita Pit, but maybe some Chinese instead."

"You're going to make me third wheel?" Troy whined. "I don't want to sit through an entire meal of Chad and Taylor's annoying banter!"

Gabriella giggled. "They're not annoying! I think it's adorable."

"It _so_ isn't."

"Well you can always join us for dinner, if you want," Gabriella offered. "No big deal. I doubt Sharpay would care."

"Sharpay hates me," Troy stated. "So no thanks."

"She doesn't hate you," Gabriella rolled her eyes; the smile still evident on her face. "She's just jealous."

"Of what? She has Zeke!"

"I don't know! It's Sharpay!" Gabriella stated exasperatedly. "I stopped trying to understand her the first weekend we were here!"

Troy laughed. "Okay then. Well I wanted to stop over to say goodbye, because we're headed out tomorrow, and to wish you good luck on your anthropology exam. So goodbye, good luck, and I will see you… At some point after the game on Friday."

"Thank you," Gabriella smiled, her heart warming as they stood so she could properly bid him farewell. "Good luck to you, too. I'm sure you'll play amazingly; you always do."

"Thank you, baby," He winked, kissing her again. "I l-"

"There's a _huge_ spider in the second sink in the bathroom!" Sharpay shrieked as she ran into the room, slamming the door behind her. "Ew! Ew, ew, _ew!_"

She noticed the position the couple was in- arms around each other but dropping furiously, both blushing, with astounded looks on their faces- and gagged further. "Oh my God, _ew._ I don't know which is grosser. That spider or you two!"

Troy turned back to Gabriella and smiled, but avoided eye contact for a moment. "I'll talk to you later. Goodbye."

"Yeah… Goodbye," She said breathlessly as he exited their room. Hesitating a moment, she returned to her studying as Sharpay eyed her curiously.

"What was that all about?" She questioned. "You look all… flustered."

"I don't know," Gabriella avoided her probing questions, flipping open her notebook carelessly. "It's nothing."

"It is not 'nothing'," Sharpay stated. "You guys were all weird when I came in. What's going on?"

"I think," Gabriella said carefully, her eyes lifting to meet Sharpay's. "I think Troy was going to tell me that he loves me."

Sharpay blinked. And then screamed. "_What?_ What… What… What the _fuck?_ Seriously?"

"I don't know! You burst in on us!" Gabriella accused. "But it seemed like it. I'm not sure. Oh my God! I'm so confused."

"You two have been dating, like, what? Three months?"

"Three and a half, thank you," Gabriella corrected. "But it doesn't matter. He's so _perfect_, Shar. Haven't you ever felt like this? Haven't you ever felt _this_ happy?"

"Of course," Sharpay nodded. "But- don't take this the wrong way- you've never _had_ a boyfriend before, Gabriella. How do you know what you're feeling?"

"I don't! That's why I'm so confused!" Gabriella expressed and then flopped backwards against the pillows on her bed. "Oh my God. What do I do now?"

"You don't _do_ anything," Sharpay said. "You wait it out and see how it's going to go. Ace your midterm, cheer your boyfriend on in the game on Friday, and then see what happens from here on out."

"What if he tells me that he loves me?" Gabriella asked and Sharpay shook her head.

The blonde smiled. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

* * *

"Road trip! Road trip! Road trip!"

The Big East Tournament had arrived, with the Syracuse Orangemen to battle against the Villanova Wildcats in one of the pivotal basketball games of the season. If they won this game, they would head further into the championship and could play for the title… but that's only if they won. When they had played against Villanova just a few weeks earlier, they had been brutally defeated. So, with high hopes and prayers in the air, the Syracuse Orangemen headed down to New York City, to Madison Square Garden, to beat out the Wildcats and hopefully further their game.

It was a chilly Friday morning; March eleventh was the date and Gabriella, Taylor, Zeke, Sharpay, and Kelsi were all anxiously waiting outside of the Schine Student Center with many other students for the Greyhound bus to arrive. They each had a small overnight bag and were all bundled in heavy coats, hats, mittens and scarves galore, as even though it was mid-March, the infamous Syracuse winter still had a good two or three weeks left of roar before it finally cooled down and settled in for a rest, giving way to spring and (maybe) summer. Weather in Syracuse was, of course, always iffy, so the gang came prepared.

Zeke and Sharpay were seated across the aisle from Taylor and Gabriella, with Kelsi seated right in front of them. Their bags were stored below their seats and coats and other garments keeping them warm in the icy outside air weren't needed in the heated bus, so they were stowed away as well. They fell into easy conversation about their midterms, the upcoming game, and all of their plans for spring break. Before long, the trip coordinator started a movie and while Kelsi got into it enthusiastically, the rest of the group grew bored with it rather quickly. It wasn't long before Zeke and Sharpay had fallen asleep adorably together, leaving Taylor and Gabriella alone to chat.

"Ooh, a text from Chad!" Taylor exclaimed as her phone buzzed in her pocket a moment later. "He says they're heading to the Garden now. That's early, right? I mean it's not even two o'clock and the game isn't until seven!"

"They probably just have to practice, that's all," Gabriella said nervously. "I'm sure they want to get placement right."

Taylor smirked. "How different can placement be? It's a basketball court; same as everything else they always play on!"

"Yeah, you're right. Sure. I guess so."

"What's up with you?" Taylor asked. "You're freaking out."

"Just nervous, I guess."

"You're not the one playing in a significant tournament tonight. What gives?"

Gabriella shifted in her seat so she was facing her best friend. "Okay, when you guys came over the other night, you know, so Troy could say goodbye? He almost told me that he loved me. Sharpay cut him off… But if she hadn't come into the room, I'm pretty sure he would've said it."

"Oh my goodness," Taylor remarked. "Well, I can't say I'm surprised. But that's really-"

"You can't say you're surprised?" Gabriella echoed. "How can you _not_ be surprised? I'm so shocked! No one, besides my parents, has ever told me they love me before!"

"You and me both," Taylor assured her. "But Troy has had a thing for you this entire year. You may have just realized your feelings in January, but for Troy, it was pretty much love at first sight."

Gabriella softened, sitting back against the icy window. "Really?"

"Pretty much. Well, according to Chad, anyway." Taylor stated. "And since he's known Troy his entire life, I'd say it's pretty safe to say that he knows what he's talking about."

"I don't know what to say," Gabriella admitted quietly. "This is crazy."

"Well don't say anything," Taylor advised. "Seriously, there's not much you can say. Let it go for now and see where it takes you."

Gabriella stared at her. "That's _exactly_ what Sharpay said."

Taylor's eyes widened. "Oh great, now we're thinking alike. _That_ can't be good."

A little before four o'clock, the Greyhound bus pulled into New York City and dropped off the students at the Hampton Inn just two blocks away from Madison Square Garden. Though Sharpay, of course, complained that it wasn't the Four Seasons, the rest of the gang ignored her and enjoyed their accommodations greatly. Their rooms were spacious, the beds already seemed comfortable, and, having been assigned rooms on the fourteenth floor, they had a spectacular view of Times Square off in the distance. Once they were settled, it was nearing five o'clock and they decided to head off into town for dinner.

Of course, this being New York, there were plenty of options for dining, but since they were planning on a spectacular spring break, they decided to play it safe and go for something cheap to save money. They ended up eating in a diner just down the street from Madison Square Garden, so they wouldn't be late. Zeke expressed his need for a burger and a milkshake and criticized the group heavily for not ordering the same thing, stating, "What else could you possibly _get_ at a diner?" Sharpay ordered a salad, Kelsi ordered a club sandwich, and Taylor and Gabriella each got what they called "Thanksgiving on a bun"- i.e., turkey, gravy, and cranberry sauce on bread. Needless to say, they were all happy with their delicious meals.

Following dinner, they headed over to Madison Square Garden for the basketball game, handed in their tickets and immediately stripped off their coats once they'd obtained their seats. They had to show off their orange pride; wearing their bright orange t-shirts and faces slathered with blue and orange face paint. Students and fans alike were already crowded into the arena, cheering and screaming like maniacs as their teams warmed up on the court, tossing free-throws and making chest passes like it was as easy as taking their next step. Gabriella scanned the court for Troy and found him seated next to another teammate on the bench. Simultaneously, she received a text reading: "_I see you, beautiful. ;)_"

"_I was just about to say the same thing :p_" She sent back, chuckling to herself as she pointed out to her friends, "Troy's on the bench. Where's Chad?"

"Running around like a fool," Taylor rolled her eyes. "I hope he doesn't think he's showing off, because he looks more like an idiot than a basketball star."

"Lighten up, Taylor." Kelsi teased. "He's just warming up."

"Yeah," Sharpay agreed. "You can be pretty cold."

Taylor scoffed. "What the hell? I was just-"

"Guys, seriously?" Zeke groaned. "I'm already the only guy here. Don't make me referee, too!"

Gabriella grinned and rolled her eyes as they all surrendered. This was no doubt fun, but she couldn't wait to talk to Troy…

* * *

"Dude, I feel _so_ much better now that I know that they're all up there," Chad said, pointing towards the crowd where their friends and girlfriends sat. "I mean it's hard enough having to play this game in front of a thousand strangers, so thank God there's a few familiar faces out there."

"A thousand strangers?" Troy asked incredulously, his eyes widening. "There's _way_ more than a thousand people watching this game, Chad. You're forgetting it's being broadcasted nation-wide."

"Well, yeah," Chad shrugged. "But at least I can't _see_ those 'nation-wide' people watching me. The people that are here are the only people that really matter."

"Interesting way to look at things." Troy said and inhaled a deep breath. "That actually made my nerves go down a little."

"Dude, calm the fuck down!" Chad clapped his friend on the back, chuckling and shaking his head. "This is not a big deal. I mean, who knows if we'll even play? They're not going to put us in the game at first anyway! We're freshmen!"

"I know _that_," Troy shrugged of his friend's hand. "But that's… That isn't why I'm nervous. It's just… Don't worry about it."

"No, no, you want me to play Dr. Phil? I can do that," Chad said. "Troy, what's bothering you now? What's wrong? And how does that make you _feel_?"

"Shut the fuck up," Troy warned. "Seriously."

"Okay, okay," He backed up, his hands rising defensively. "I'm dropping it. Chill out, man. It's all good."

Twenty-five minutes later, the entire arena was filled with fans, families, and alumni waiting for an impressive game. The announcers began to introduce both teams and coaches as the arena erupted in cheers and screeching squeals. Once everyone had donned their appropriate school's colors in their attire, obtained popcorn or nachos and their extra large cups of soda, the game was set to begin. The coach for the Syracuse Orangemen corralled his team into a huddle to give his pre-game pep talk, taking that moment to connect with each of them.

"Alright Orangemen," The coach sighed. "This is it. We've made it to the Big East Tournament and I couldn't be happier. It's time to show these Wildcats they really aren't so wild. It's time to beat them at their own game. It's time to give them the brutal defeat they gave us a few weeks ago. It's time to step up our game, give it our all, and make them wish they never left Pennsylvania. It's time to _win_."

"I'm proud of each and every one of you for giving one hundred and ten percent all year," The coach continued. "It doesn't matter if you're in the starting lineup or if you've only played for ten minutes this entire season. It doesn't matter if you think you're the star of the show or if you think that I have something against you and I'm not playing you for personal reasons. It doesn't matter if you're a senior and you've been here for four years or if you're a freshman and we just got you this past summer."

"Each and every one of you is a part of this team," The coach stated strongly. "Each and every one of you is an _important_ part of this team. You each play a significant role, you each represent a cog in a well-oiled machine, and without _each and every one _of you, we wouldn't be where we are right now. We are all here because we all work together. If one of us wins, we all win. If one of us fails, we all fail. We are all Orangemen and we all represent Syracuse University. Now let's get out there and win tonight. Orange on three!"

They each placed a hand into the center of the circle, shouting, "One, two, three, ORANGE!"

And the game was off.

The first half of the game went well, with Troy and Chad watching animatedly from the sidelines as the Wildcats quickly took the lead, but only by four points. The Orangemen were on their game that evening, and each time the Wildcats would score, the Orangemen would score as well, trying their hardest to catch up with their competitors. At halftime, the score was Wildcats 42, Orangemen 38. They weren't too far off, but they would need to step it up just a few more levels if they wanted to beat their enemies by a landslide.

"Okay, we're down by four," The coach grunted. "If we can make a basket within the next minute, it'll spill us into overtime and we'll be able to win the game, provided we make another basket after that. Anyway, I want to run the three-to-four give it and go play. Can we do that?"

The team nodded and he continued. "Okay. Kilhullen, Smith, Daniels, and Coleman start forth. Carter, Nichols, and Johnson you be three, okay? Bolton and Danforth watch the sidelines, got it?"

Troy looked up. "Me? Really?"

"You're going to play _us_, Coach?" Chad wondered, his eyes saucer-sized.

"Yes," The coach groaned. "You girls think you can handle it?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Alright, then! Orange on three! One, two, three, ORANGE!"

They broke the huddle and hurried back on the court to play. The players arranged themselves in formation their coach had told them to and watched for the referee to call the ball. Chad watched, eyes alert as the tall center for the Wildcats smacked the ball the opposite way and the ball bounced in front of Daniels, the center for their team. Chad nodded towards Troy, both readying themselves for their part to come into play if Daniels was to pass the basketball his way.

Well, it seemed the only possible way for Daniels to go and he nearly chucked the basketball to Troy as he was almost tackled to the ground by a Wildcat player. Troy grasped the ball firmly and prepared to run the give and go, but noticed three Wildcat juniors in his way. Panting he looked to the right and noticed Carter was positioned perfectly on the three-point line. It would be the smart move to pass for him and hope Carter knew what he was thinking- to go for the three-pointer- but Troy wasn't willing to make that sacrifice. Luckily for him, he didn't have to, as the Wildcat players rushed towards him, no longer making him open to pass to.

Troy glanced to his right, all the while dribbling the ball and ignoring the sweat dripping down his body, and noticed his best friend was now open and positioned on the three point line as well. The only problem? He knew Chad and he knew he _sucked_ at three-pointers. He had tried drilling them for hours with Chad months ago in the court at the gym, but it was all in vain. Of the hundreds of shots he took, Chad probably only made a handful of them. Should he really take that chance?

"Bolton! Pass the ball!" Their coach called from the sidelines and Troy knew he had to do something. Taking a glance at the clock, he noted they had only twenty seconds left in the game and they would lose if something didn't happen _right now_. He inhaled and overhead passed the ball to his best friend, hoping Chad would take the hint.

And at first, he didn't.

Chad dribbled the ball a little, contemplating his next move. He wasn't expecting this change in the game play and knew his three-pointers were shit compared to Troy's. But Troy was blocked pretty heavily from the basket and Chad was the only one in control of the next ten seconds of the game. Winning the Big East Tournament depended solely on him. So, he took a step forward, directly on the three point line, closed his eyes, and propelled the ball into the air, hoping and praying with all of his heart, mind and soul that it would go swishing into the net.

It did.

The buzzer sounded and the scoreboard changed so the Orangemen were now in the lead by one point. They had won the game and it was all because of _him._ Chad grinned in amazement that he had actually accomplished such a feat. His teammates hoisted him up on their shoulders as the cheerleaders rushed towards him in celebration. The Syracuse Orangemen were the Big East Tournament champions. And it was all because of a freak accident Chad liked to call his three-pointer.

"Chad!" Troy screamed. "You did it!"

"Champions!" Chad yelled, then leaned backwards and screamed, "_Motherfucking hell yeah!_"

Troy laughed hysterically, slapping his friends high-fives and cheering along with his teammates as the entire arena erupted in cheers from the Orange side. The students that had traveled from the school to see the game burst from their seats and flooded the court, each of them wanting a piece of their team's victory for the record books. Streamers and balloons, both orange and blue, fell from the ceiling as Troy glanced up at the seating area, noting that Gabriella and his friends had somehow made their way onto the court. He glanced around, wanting nothing more than to celebrate with her.

But instead, his eyes fell upon a familiar blonde.

"Looking for someone?" She taunted, stepping up to him as his eyes widened.

And then, her lips were on his.

* * *

The moment the final buzzer sounded, the Syracuse students who had traveled to see the game stormed out of their seats and ran down the stairs, past security, and onto the court. Zeke led the way, linking hands with Sharpay and the other girls as they formed a human chain to get onto the court. The security guards were no match for the elated students, who ecstatically pushed past them and skidded towards the celebrating team near the Syracuse entrance. Taylor and Gabriella immediately began eyeing the crowd for their boyfriends, while Zeke, Sharpay, and Kelsi were content to stay behind and celebrate with the rest of the team.

A moment later, Chad crept up behind Taylor, scooped her into his arms and spun around with her in glee. She chuckled, but scrunched her nose up in disgust. "You smell _awful_. You're getting sweat all over me!"

"It's all worth it, babe!" Chad laughed. "It's not sweat, anyway! It's a winner's glow!"

Gabriella giggled, hugging Chad the moment he let Taylor go. "Congratulations! And _ew_, you _do_ smell terrible!"

"Alright, if I'm going to get insulted, you can just leave," Chad feigned hurt, winking jokingly. "But good luck trying to find a player who _doesn't_ smell. Spoiler alert: he doesn't exist."

Gabriella rolled her eyes playfully. "Yeah, yeah. I'm just going to go find Troy."

"Keep your phone on vibrate," Taylor advised. "I'll text you to let you know where we're going to meet up!"

"Will do," Gabriella stated and set off to find Troy.

Pushing through the crowd, Gabriella wandered aimlessly as her eyes scanned the crowd for her boyfriend. The air was hot and thick with triumph as a few players she recognized greeted her and she congratulated them excitedly for their big win. The coach was engaging in the post-game interview and she sidestepped him quickly because, not only did she not want to be on camera, but he intimidated her to no end. Now, she was approaching the bench and she knew he wouldn't be there. When she reached the sidelines, she turned around again, looking back over where she had just come from.

And then, she saw him.

Her heart beat faster and her face lit up with joy as she raced a little faster towards him. But she stopped in her tracks when she noticed he wasn't alone. He at first looked as if he was a little lost, but then a moment later, she saw a petite blonde lock her arms around Troy's neck and kiss him as if her life depended on it. She wasn't sure what was going on. Surely this couldn't be real, right? But as Gabriella stood there, mouth agape and eyes wide and tear-filled, she watched as this mystery girl kissed her boyfriend and only one thing came to mind.

Dear God. It was happening _again_.


	14. Crouse College

**I'm sure you're all sick of my excuses, but I'm going to give them to you anyway. I was working, I was babysitting, I was under a lot- A LOT- of writer's block, etc. etc. Apply any one of them to this situation and that's why I haven't updated in forever. To be completely honest, I've almost completely lost my passion for this fandom lol. I'm not going to give up on this story though, since it's pretty much almost over. So I'll finish this and then I might just move on from HSM forever... We'll see.**

**I don't own nor am I affiliated with Disney, High School Musical, its characters, Syracuse University, or The Script and their song "Breakeven." Thanks for continuing to read even though I suck at updating on time. You're better people than I am.  
**

* * *

Bleeding Orange

Chapter Fourteen: Crouse College

…

"_What am I supposed to do  
When the best part of me was always you?  
What am I supposed to say  
When I'm all choked up but you're okay?  
I'm falling to pieces…_"

~_ "__**Breakeven**__," The Script_

…

Even though it felt like forever, it only took a moment for Troy to realize what was going on.

He shoved roughly at the blonde's shoulder, his face twisted in shock and horror as he wiped at his mouth, as if doing so would wash away the remnants of the unwanted kiss. Ready to give this girl a piece of his mind, he glanced at her and his heart nearly stopped and leapt out of his chest. Courtney stood before him, her face mischievous even though she tried to mask this under false innocence. Her bright blue eyes lightened considerably when they met his and he stepped back, afraid of her intentions. His face hardened and then, only then, did he grow angry.

"Courtney," He spat menacingly. "What the _fuck_ are you doing here?"

"You told me if I ever found the old Courtney again to give her your number," Courtney said, her voice dripping in saccharine sweetness. "Well here I am. I figured this would be more fun. Why bother with a call when I can just appear?"

"Well I hardly think my _girlfriend_ will approve," Troy fought, placing heavy emphasis on the word 'girlfriend' and watching Courtney's face change.

"You're right. She doesn't," A soft voice spoke and when Troy glanced up, his eyes met Gabriella's just before she turned away from him. His heart broke into a million pieces and he glared at Courtney.

"Are you happy now?" He snarled furiously. "Look what you did!"

"It takes two to tango, Troy," Courtney smiled innocuously. "And it looks like your girlfriend won't be the problem anymore."

"You are a narcissistic bitch," Troy stated outwardly. "And I can't believe you would do this to someone you used to love."

Without so much as another word, Troy turned and followed Gabriella to the edge of the crowd. He called for her but she didn't respond and it absolutely _killed_ him that she had seen that. She raced faster towards the arena doors but Troy caught up to her, catching her arm just in time to stop her in her tracks. She turned around to face him and if possible, Troy's heart broke even further. He'd seen her cry once, maybe twice and it killed him. But now, he was the cause of it and it made the situation much, much worse.

"Gabriella-"

"Do you know how many people I learned I couldn't trust this year, Troy?" She asked, cutting him off. "Sharpay was obvious, Aaron let me down; I even learned my own _father_ had been lying to me my entire life. But not you, Troy. I never thought… Not _you_, Troy!"

"Gabriella," He began again. "It isn't _at all_ what it looks like!"

"Oh really? Because it looks like you're kissing someone that isn't me," She said. "It isn't what it looks like? That's what they _all_ say."

"It's not my fault, okay? It really isn't," He pleaded with her. "You have to believe me, Gabriella!"

"Why?" She asked, finally meeting his eyes with her own. "Why should I believe you? This is the _exact_ same situation I had with Aaron. I was so excited to see him that night and then I found him kissing some blonde. And here I am, excited to see you, and what do I find? You kissing some blonde!"

"I swear to you that's not what happened," Troy disagreed. "That was Courtney, my-"

"The ex-girlfriend you're still hung up on," Gabriella filled in. "Oh, _fantastic_."

Troy's eyes widened. "You know about Courtney?"

"Chad talks!" Gabriella sneered. "He said that you were over her, though. Clearly, Chad. _Clearly_."

"Gabriella, don't be like that," Troy implored. "I _am_ over her! I had no idea she was going to be here tonight! I was looking for you and she just came out of nowhere and kissed me! Come on, you _know_ me! You know that I would never do this to you on purpose!"

Her face softened. "I know that. But it still happened, Troy. And you didn't do anything to try and stop it."

"What did you want me to do, exactly?" He asked, growing angry. "Would you like me to be psychic so I could've seen her coming and prevented her from kissing me? Or would you like me to have had telepathy so I could've known in advance what she was going to do?"

"No," Gabriella stated simply. "I would've have liked you to stop kissing her back."

Troy frowned. "I did."

"Not before I saw," Gabriella sighed. "Troy, I honestly don't know what you want me to say."

"You? I don't know what you want _me_ to say!" Troy stated in shock. "Courtney literally means nothing to me anymore. You do. _You_ matter. Come on, you know how sorry I am. You _know_ it. Can you please forgive me?"

"Eventually," Gabriella uttered after a moment. "But not yet. Not right now."

"So what are you saying?" He asked, stepping closer to her and wincing as she stepped away. "Are you breaking up with me?"

"I'm not breaking up with you," She shook her head, glancing at the floor. "I just need a break from you. I need some time to think about things."

"Gabriella…"

"Troy, don't, okay? Just give me some time," Gabriella said, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. "Just don't talk to me for a little while. Just… leave me alone."

"Gabriella," Troy called out pathetically, but she didn't turn around, didn't answer him, and immersed herself into the crowd of still-cheering fans. Troy's heart, if possible, strained and stretched even further, the weight of the moment wearing him down and suddenly, he didn't feel like celebrating anymore…

* * *

"Gabriella, will you slow down?"

Gabriella ignored Taylor's pleading request as she sped down the hallway on the fourteenth floor of their hotel, her eyes scanning the golden numbers on the hotel room doors as she blindly searched for her own room. She thought if she busied herself with mindless activities- thinking, breathing, searching, _moving_- she wouldn't think about anything that had happened back at the arena. Finally, her glassy brown eyes found the room she was sharing with Sharpay and she shoved her hand roughly into her pocket, her fingers just grasping the plastic key card as Sharpay jogged to catch up with her and stood in the doorway, blocking her entrance.

"Sharpay, what do you want?" Gabriella said softly, her eyes pleading with Sharpay to let her in. "It's been a long day and I'm exhausted. I just want to go to bed."

"You're not going to bed until you explain yourself," Sharpay stated crossly, her arms folded over her chest. "What the fuck is wrong with you? Your boyfriend just won the Big East tournament; you'd think you'd be a _little_ more excited!"

Gabriella winced as she said the word 'boyfriend,' an action not unmissed by Taylor, whose own eyes widened. "Wait a minute; did you and Troy… _break up?_"

Kelsi and Sharpay each expressed their own forms of doubt, but when Gabriella neither confirmed nor denied this fact, Sharpay opened the door to their room and said, "Okay, everybody in. Gabriella's got some _serious_ explaining to do."

Zeke, who was hanging back awkwardly, stepped forward as Gabriella, Taylor, and Kelsi ushered themselves into their hotel room. He kissed Sharpay goodnight and stated, "This is not my place. Looks like a long night of girl talk, so I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight," Sharpay winked as he headed down to his own room. "I'll tell you everything on the bus tomorrow."

Zeke chuckled softly. "Good."

"Alright, is this a happy story or a sad story?" Sharpay asked immediately, taking in that Gabriella and Taylor were perched on the former's bed and Kelsi was propped up in an armchair by the window. "Will we need reinforcements?"

"Does it look like a happy story?" Taylor questioned her, gesturing towards Gabriella, whose eyes were slowly filling with tears.

"What kind of reinforcements?" Kelsi wondered curiously as the three girls eyed Sharpay digging through her bag.

"No… that's for… No… Ah ha!" Sharpay cheered triumphantly, pulling out a pink and green flyer and thrusting it to all three girls as she opened her computer to begin ordering online. "We're getting frozen yogurt. Pick what you want!"

"16 Handles," Taylor chuckled as she peered over the menu. "Clever."

"Yeah, see they have 16 unique flavors," Sharpay explained as she clicked through the website, choosing her yogurt. "But, like, a million toppings. So no two yogurts are alike."

"I'm not hungry," Gabriella said quietly but Sharpay frowned.

"Too bad, Montez." She stated harshly. "We don't feel bad for you enough yet. I mean, we don't even know the story yet. You could be to blame, for all we know."

Gabriella stared at her incredulously as Taylor jumped to her defense. "Sharpay, now is not the time to be a bitch. Clearly there's something wrong here and you biting her head off isn't going to solve anything."

"Well excuse me for giving her a little tough love," Sharpay rolled her eyes, passing her laptop to Kelsi so she could order. "I don't know if all the sympathy is going to solve anything, either!"

"Okay guys, seriously," Kelsi stated outwardly. "Arguing definitely isn't going to help her right now. Just order the frozen yogurt so we can move on!"

Sharpay and Taylor stared at Kelsi as if she were a completely different person. What had happened to the mousy, introverted girl she had been, the one who wouldn't stand up to anybody? Kelsi must've noticed their concerned looks, because she rolled her eyes and said, "Well I'm sick of you two fighting all the time! It's so obnoxious! I mean, Gabriella is your _friend_ and here you two are, arguing over the best way to help her! Maybe if you just let her come out of her shell a little bit she'll tell you what's wrong!"

Taylor and Sharpay looked away in compliant embarrassment, but Gabriella smiled slowly. "Thanks Kelsi."

"You're welcome," She blushed a little, not used to the attention herself. "Anyway, how much do I owe you, Shar?"

"I don't know," Sharpay sighed. "Like four bucks."

Eventually, they managed to con Gabriella into ordering yogurt too and when they had all paid and gotten well into eating, Taylor coaxed Gabriella to tell them what had happened. "So you and Troy…?"

"Right, well," She stirred her melting yogurt with her plastic spoon a little, trying to stall. "After I left you, I was walking around to try and find him. On the other side of the crowd, I guess, is where I found him… Kissing some blonde girl, who I later found out was Courtney, his ex-girlfriend."

Sharpay and Kelsi's eyes widened in surprise as Taylor asked, "The Courtney that he was in love with? Like obsessively so?"

Gabriella nodded in confusion. "How did you know about Courtney?"

Taylor shrugged. "Chad talks."

"Oh my God," Kelsi said sadly. "I'm sorry Gabriella. Did you… break up with him?"

This time, Gabriella shrugged. "I don't really know where we are right now. I don't want to break up with him, so I just told him I didn't want to talk to him for a while."

"I guess that's a good idea," Taylor commented. "I mean, you know, to give yourself some time to think it over. It isn't his fault, though, right? She kissed him?"

"That's what he says," Gabriella answered. "I didn't see who kissed who."

"Yeah, but Troy wouldn't do that," Kelsi said adamantly. "He wouldn't. He's not that kind of person."

"I don't know if he is," Gabriella told her. "I don't know what to believe anymore. I'm _so_ confused."

"Yeah, but-"

"Thanks for talking with me about this," Gabriella said politely, standing and making her way to the bathroom. "But I'd really like a shower and then I need to go to bed. I'm exhausted."

"Yeah, okay. Goodnight Gabriella, Sharpay."

"We'll see you tomorrow. Keep your head up."

Sharpay was still sitting in the same position when Gabriella got out of the shower as she had been in when she left her about fifteen minutes earlier. She was sitting against the pillows on her double bed, her knees pulled up to her chest as she stared aimlessly at the floor. She didn't look up as Gabriella came in and crawled into her own bed, turning off the light beside her bed as she did so and only a few minutes later, Sharpay did the same, shutting off the light and crawling under the duvet.

Quietly, Gabriella asked, "You're not going to shower?"

"I'll get up early and shower in the morning." Sharpay explained and still, Gabriella found her behavior to be odd.

"You've been quiet," The brunette stated. "What's going on?"

"I just never thought," She trailed off. "Not Troy, you know?"

Gabriella pulled a face. "You don't even like Troy!"

"That's not true," Sharpay contradicted. "That's just my duty as a roommate, you know? To give you guys crap when you're hanging out in our room and making out all the time. That's all an act. But he was great. He always made you so happy… So how could he have done this?"

Gabriella didn't answer. Instead, she rolled over, facing the window and crying silently as she wondered that very same thing.

The next morning, Gabriella awoke to the pounding rain against her fourteenth-story window. She could hear, distantly, the honking and whirring of taxi cabs and police car sirens down in the streets and it took only a moment for her to remember where she was and what exactly had happened yesterday. Sharpay's bed was empty; she was singing some God-awful song in the shower, not a care in the world. Gabriella checked the clock and did a double take. They had a half hour until the Greyhound bus back to Syracuse left.

Pushing the sheets and down comforter back, Gabriella pulled off her pajamas and dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a warm sweater. She ran a brush through her straggly hair and then decided against it, pulling it into a ponytail to get it out of the way. She didn't care anymore if she looked awful; maybe her appearance mixed with the horrible weather outside would match just how she's feeling inside. Throwing everything into her overnight bag, Gabriella checked numerous times if she'd forgotten anything, but nothing made itself known to her. She then quickly brushed her teeth, forgoing breakfast, and washed her face absently. What was the point? She still looked broken.

She and Sharpay bundled in their typical Syracuse garb- i.e., heavy wool pea coats, scarves, hats, and mittens- so they would be prepared when the awful weather out west welcomed them. They met Taylor, Kelsi and Zeke outside the hotel and together, they boarded the bus back home. Again, Gabriella sat with Taylor who kept prodding her for her feelings, for more information, for conversation. But all Gabriella really wanted was to be left alone. She needed time to think, time to breathe, time to just exist before she was thrust into this all over again when she decided to talk it over with Troy.

If she thought about it, she honestly didn't know how she was feeling. There was a part of her that felt absolutely shattered; how could this have happened to her _three_ times? Was she the unluckiest girl when it came to trust or was it all some horrible coincidence? There was a part of her that felt incredibly angry; he _knew_ what Aaron had done. He was there, so how he could turn around and do the same thing? But then there was another part of her that felt hollow, empty, vacant. It was as if Troy's presence in her life filled this hole and now that he wasn't with her, the hole was painfully reopened, gaping, bleeding.

Deep down, Gabriella knew he didn't mean it. She knew that he was a good person inside and out and if he said that he didn't kiss her, that she kissed him and he was_ so sorry_, she believed him. He was telling the truth. But still, some part of her was holding her back from forgiving him right away. There was some part of her that was completely unsure of what to do next. Her lack of experience with guys was coming back to slap her in the face at this very moment. But her experience with untrustworthy men was right there, making its presence known so very painfully. With Aaron, her feelings were never deep enough for it to be an issue. He had shown no remorse for kissing someone else and therefore she could let him go. But with Troy…

With Troy, she was sure she loved him, and that scared the shit out of her.

* * *

Troy stared through the icy window of the team bus, watching the road as the miles flew by. Rain was pummeling down in great, porcelain drops and he was sure they were only driving half the speed limit because visibility was so poor. Thunder was booming from the thick, grey clouds and every so often, a flash of lightening illuminated the otherwise dark and uninviting sky. There couldn't be more perfect weather, Troy believed, to match how he was feeling at that very moment. His teammates were still partying; talking loudly of every play made in the game and passing around what Troy was sure was not technically a bottle of water, but of some kind of alcohol. Troy, however, was not at all in the mood for celebrating. He had his head resting against the window pane, counting down the hours until they arrived back at the University.

As they passed the sign announcing they were in Herkimer, which meant only a little over an hour left of their miserable journey, Troy was lost in thought over how much he royally screwed up. But the worst part was, he didn't do it on purpose. He was caught out of nowhere by this unsuspecting kiss, this unsuspecting _appearance_ of his bitchy ex-girlfriend, that he was rendered dumbfounded for a few moments before he could respond. And now Gabriella had seen… He didn't know what to do. There were only so many times he could say how sorry he was and how much he wished it hadn't happened. God, didn't she _know_ how important she was to him? Courtney was just…

_Courtney_. The mere thought of her still made Troy cringe. How could she have possibly thought that coming to his game, storming the stadium with the rest of the Syracuse students- especially because she went to UConn, their _rivals_- and just randomly showing up in front of him would be okay? And as if that wasn't enough, to _kiss_ him? In public, in front of all those people? She didn't know what he was doing with his life. She didn't know that he had a girlfriend, but even if he didn't, why would she _ever_ think that's okay? He never should've told her if she found the old Courtney to call him, and if he lost Gabriella because of her…

Troy closed his eyes. _Gabriella_. He couldn't lose Gabriella; that was the absolute last thing he wanted to happen. He loved her and he wasn't afraid to admit it… to himself. He had chickened out when trying to tell Gabriella and telling Chad? Forget it. He'd never hear the end of it. But the best part was, the way he loved Gabriella was so, so different from the way he loved Courtney. Courtney had been his high school love, the one he'd, stupidly, expected to last forever and then had been shocked when she pulled the carpet out from under him. Courtney had been the teenage love, the immature love, the high school sweetheart he had _finally_ gotten over.

But Gabriella was different, beautifully different. The way he loved Gabriella was much… simpler. They didn't have to try, they didn't have to force anything- it all came naturally. She was intelligent, gorgeous, funny… He could go on for years about her many quirks and qualities and likes and dislikes. She was like the missing piece to the puzzle he'd been searching for and for years, trying to jam Courtney into. But as much as he'd her to, Courtney just didn't fit. And now, now that he'd found Gabriella, he knew he couldn't let her go. This complication between them must come to an end… if only he could figure out a way to make her see.

At that precise moment, Chad walked down the aisle and dropped into the seat beside him. His deep brown curls were frizzing and faltering in the humidity and rain, but otherwise, there his best friend sat, perfectly intact and ready to talk with him… if only Troy felt like talking. He shrugged and turned more towards the window, but Chad rolled his eyes and yanked on his shoulder so they were once again facing each other. He tilted his head a bit, asking silently what his problem was and when he was going to let him in on this little secret and Troy somehow knew from this that he was not going to let this go anytime soon.

When he was done telling the story, Chad stared at his best friend with wide eyes. "What the fuck was Courtney doing at the game?"

"I couldn't tell you," Troy stated exasperatedly. "I don't know why she would even think about coming, let alone make a six-hour trip just to mess up my current relationship."

"Well in her defense, she probably didn't know you and Gabriella are going out," Chad stated and then added, "You guys _are_ still going out, right?"

"As far as I know," Troy nodded slowly. "And who gives a shit if she didn't know we were dating? You don't just walk up to your ex-boyfriend and start making out with him in the middle of nowhere!"

"Whoa, man, chill," Chad held up his hands in defense. "I'm on your side, remember?"

"Yeah, whatever. Sorry." Troy shakes it off, glancing out the window again. They had just approached Utica; only forty-five minutes left. "I just don't know what to do anymore. I've been beating this to death all night."

"Dude, you have to give her time to process," Chad stated. "Put yourself in her shoes. How would you feel?"

"After everything that happened with Aaron and, apparently, her father?" Troy probed. "Horrible."

"Why? What happened with her father?" Chad questioned but Troy shrugged.

"I have no idea. And I figured that yesterday was hardly the time or the place to ask," He explained to which Chad nodded in agreement. "This just sucks. This was supposed to be the kick off of a great spring break. But instead…"

"Hey," Chad nudged his shoulder. "At least we still won the tournament. There's a plus side, right?"

"Well, yeah," Troy said weakly. "I guess."

"You're not excited?"

"I was, but now…" He trailed off.

Chad stared at him a long time before saying, "You love her."

Troy's eyes snapped to his best friend's. "What?"

"Hey, I may not be observant or intuitive," He stated matter-of-factly. "But I know my best friend and I know how you get when you're in love. You love Gabriella, don't you?"

Troy didn't answer at first, but he didn't have to. Chad knew, then and there, exactly how he was feeling. "It's cool, man, it's not like I didn't see it coming."

"Yeah, yeah," Troy said nonchalantly. "The point is, I never got the chance to tell her and now she thinks… Now she thinks I'm cheating on her… Jesus…"

"I highly doubt she thinks you're cheating on her, first of all," Chad held incredulously. "And why don't you just tell her now? That can be your apology."

"Now? Now's the worst time to say anything," Troy shot back. "If I tell her now she'll think I'm just saying it to get back on her good side."

Chad pulled a face. "Gabriella's not like that."

"Oh, now you know her better than I do?" Troy asked sarcastically.

"I've known her longer!" Chad defended and Troy scoffed. "Okay, so only like a week or two longer, but still. If you're going to act like this then my work here is done. All I suggest is that you stop moping around like a pussy and just fix things for yourself."

"I would," Troy sulked, turning towards the window once more as Chad left their seats. "If I could figure out how."


	15. Syracuse Hancock International Airport

**Here I am again! I have the next few chapters written and I'm going to try and finish this story so I can update at least every other day. That's not a promise- in fact, I'm going to stop making update promises, because I clearly cannot keep them. But you all are amazing and I just want to thank you for not giving up on this story, even though you have every right to. Thanks so much for your fantastic reviews! I love you all like a second family. =)**

**I do not own nor am I affiliated with Syracuse University, Disney, High School Musical, its characters, or Katy Perry and her song that I used for this chapter. It's quite fitting, I think. Enjoy!**

* * *

Bleeding Orange

Chapter Fifteen: Syracuse Hancock International Airport

…

"_I know a place where the grass is really greener  
Warm, wet and wild, there must be something in the water  
You can travel the world  
But nothing comes close to the golden coast  
Once you party with us,  
You'll be falling in love…_"

~ _"__**California Gurls**__," Katy Perry ft. Snoop Dogg_

…

Sunday March thirteenth had finally arrived- the day the entire gang would depart on the five-hour flight to California to spend their spring break at the Evans' beach house. Sharpay spoke nonstop about how excited she was to get home to see her friends and parents and to be in a place that was almost always sunny, quite the opposite of dreary Syracuse. Once everyone's last minute items were packed away, they hailed a taxi to the airport a few exits away, checked in, and then boarded their plane. Though still chilly, it was a sunny and cloudless mid-March day in Syracuse, but soon, that didn't matter, because they were climbing higher and higher into the sky.

They were to arrive in LAX around two p.m., after a forty-five minute layover in Chicago. Gabriella was seated by the window, with Kelsi in the middle and Troy on the aisle. Poor Kelsi, upon making the seating reservations, had expected to be third wheel, but now, she was the wall between the two torn lovers. This made Gabriella feel bad, but on the other hand, assigned seats were assigned seats. There was nothing she could do about it. She checked her watch and noted it was just after twelve o'clock. Two more hours to go... and then a whole week secluded with Troy.

Troy, on the other hand, was trying to follow Chad's advice and let her have some space. He had both ear buds in but was paying any bit of attention to what was playing on his iPod. He hadn't been able to focus all weekend on anything but the unsteady ground between them. He needed a plan; he needed to be able to know that in however many days, this uneasiness and the awkward nature that had never been a part of their relationship would be gone. But until then, until his brain decided to shake off the shock and kick into overdrive, he approach her tentatively, unwilling to cause their shaky status any more damage.

A little before two o'clock, the plane landed safely at LAX and Sharpay excitedly got off before all the others, pointing out the window at the brilliant sunshine, the cloudless sapphire sky, and the fact that all the occupants of the airport were in shorts and t-shirts in March. When they all had finally gathered their carry-on items and managed to get off the plane, they could agree with Sharpay fully and glanced around in confusion, looking for her. But she was already about a mile away from them, headed for the baggage claim.

"I've never seen her this happy before," Taylor remarked to Gabriella who giggled slightly. "It's slightly frightening."

Everyone gathered their bags and suitcases and were piling out of the airport, into the fresh Californian air. Just as they approached the sidewalk and were admiring the various palm trees, teenagers walking by in bathing suits, and an older couple walking their dog, Chad and Zeke raised their hands to the street. Sharpay yanked them down immediately and looked at them as if they were insane. "What are you doing?"

Chad and Zeke shared a look before responding, "Hailing a cab. How else were we going to get to your house?"

Sharpay laughed as if they'd told her pink wasn't a good color on her. "What do you think we are? Middle class?"

No one answered her, but a moment later, the unanswered question of how they were getting to her house was answered wordlessly when a stretch limo pulled up beside them and an older man with hair whiter than the sand on the beaches stepped out. Sharpay squealed and ran to hug him. "Maurice! Hi!"

"Miss Sharpay, it's a pleasure to see you again," the driver named Maurice smiled politely. "How was the first half of your second semester? And your flight?"

"Both excellent, of course," Sharpay grinned. "Maurice, these are my friends- Gabriella, Taylor, Kelsi, Zeke, Chad, and Troy."

She indicated towards each of them as she introduced them to her driver, who shook everyone's hands before motioning towards their baggage. "May I get that?"

"Oh, we can help," Zeke stated immediately but Maurice shook his head.

"Of course not, sir," Maurice shook his head. "You've had a long flight. I'll load the luggage; why don't you all head inside and we'll get going?"

They followed his suggestion and climbed into the limo, which had leather interior, black carpet on the floor, a refrigerator and a stereo system. Sharpay sat closest to the door, allowing everyone to get in before herself before settling down in her own seat. They all stared at her in amazement but she could not figure out why. "What?"

"Um, why didn't you tell us you have a _driver_?" Taylor spit out incredulously.

"Oh, we only use Maurice for special occasions, like charity benefits or Daddy's business galas. Or now, when someone needs to be picked up from the airport and Mother or Daddy can't do it," Sharpay explained. "They're very busy you know."

But the rest of the gang wasn't buying it. Chad was playing with the various dials on the radio before chuckling and saying sarcastically, "Wow, Shar. Next you'll tell us you have a beach _mansion_ and a butler."

They all laughed but Sharpay was straight-faced. "His name's Sebastian; you'll meet him later. He makes potatoes au gratin to _die_ for."

Nobody poked fun at Sharpay's riches for the rest of the ride, afraid they too would be real.

When they finally pulled up to her house, they knew Chad had not taken a stab in the dark with the description of the mansion. The house was bigger than any they had ever seen. It was three stories, an off-white stucco, with a reddish-orange thatched room and balconies coming off of most of the upper story rooms. The front lawn was trimmed accordingly with adorning landscaping and the cobblestone path led up to a giant oak front door with glass window paneling. Large glass windows in each room were seen and long stone pillars held the house together. A few chairs and a porch swing adorned the front porch, where a young man sat, apparently awaiting the limo as it pulled into the half-circle driveway, for he jumped up and ran towards it as it came to a stop.

"Welcome home," Sharpay grinned as Maurice parked the car and pulled open the door. "RYAN!"

As the young man came closer, the rest of the gang realized it was her twin brother Ryan whom they'd met at Syracuse's family weekend. Ryan chuckled as he hugged his sister. "How are you, Shar?"

"Fine, you?" She pulled back. "I brought friends!"

"Wow," Ryan remarked as the rest of the gang piled out of the limo, still dumbstruck by the vast mansion. "I knew Shar had a few friends, but this many?"

They chuckled as Sharpay's grin quickly switched directions to a frown. "Watch it, bro. I know where you live."

"Damn, this place makes the White House look small." Chad remarked and Ryan chuckled.

"Yeah, Mom and Dad kind of outdid themselves," Ryan shook his head. "Especially since it's just the four of us that live here. Well, and Sebastian."

Once everyone had gathered their baggage, the twins began to lead everyone up the path towards the house. Sharpay explained, "Daddy owns his own country club called Lava Springs. It's the biggest country club in Los Angeles County. And Mother has her own extremely successful line of exercise videos. Apparently she reinvented the spinning industry, or whatever."

"Oh! Your Mom's Charlotte?" Taylor asked. "As in 'Cycling with Charlotte'?"

"Uh huh!" Sharpay nodded happily as they opened the door and stepped into the house.

Everyone else shot Taylor a glance and she shrugged. "What? My Mom works out. She _loves_ her videos. I can't imagine what she'll say when…"

But the conversation died on her lips as they were once again rendered speechless by the vastness of the home. The floors were a white marble with green accented squares, the staircase was a beautiful wood and carpet combo, curving up to the second story and then again to the third, and then the floor gave way to a sitting area further into the home. There were elegant paintings on the wall, two pristine white couches, and a wooden coffee table with a family photo of the four Evans's. In the sitting area, the walls were all actually windows, and from there, the lapping ocean could be seen. It was beautiful; the kind of home you only saw in photographs or in movies and Gabriella could not tear her eyes away.

"So yeah, this is the foyer," Sharpay waved nonchalantly. "Follow me upstairs!"

They did as they were told and when they came to a halt on the landing of the second floor, Sharpay gestured towards the end of the hall. "Okay so that's where my parents' bedroom is. Then on the other side of the hallway is Sebastian's room and Maurice doesn't live with us, so don't ask where he is. There're three guest bedrooms down here and Ryan and I sleep on the third floor, where there's two more guest bedrooms."

Too dumbstruck to say anything, they all nodded. She continued. "Okay great. So two people will have to share, because there isn't enough room for everyone to have their own room."

"There isn't enough room? In _this_ place?" Chad asked incredulously. "Damn, and here I thought it was better than the White House…"

Sharpay's eyes narrowed. "Watch it, Danforth. You're skating on thin ice."

"There's an ice rink in this place too?"

The rest of them laughed as Sharpay pretended she hadn't heard him. "Anyway, Troy, Chad, and Zeke can have the three bedrooms on this floor, I don't care which ones. And then upstairs, it'll be Gabriella, Taylor and Kelsi. I don't care who you share with, but let's get settled."

Taylor turned towards Gabriella. "Want to share rooms? I share with Kelsi all the time."

"Hey!" Kelsi teased. "I'm a good roommate!"

Gabriella chuckled and nodded. "Sure. Kels, I believe you're a good roommate. Let's see if Taylor's the same!"

The boys split from the group, Ryan indicating which rooms were available and where the bathrooms were as Sharpay led Gabriella, Taylor, and Kelsi up the stairs towards her own bedroom. They stopped in the hallway as Sharpay indicated her and Ryan's respective bedrooms before pointing out Kelsi's and Taylor and Gabriella's. When they pushed open the white door, they were greeted with the overwhelmingly wonderful smell of sea air. Hardwood floors, pale blue walls, and two queen beds with down comforters were comforting enough, but the first thing Taylor and Gabriella noticed was the pair of white French doors leading to the balcony. Immediately, they crossed the room and pushed the doors open, stepping onto the deck.

The Evans' backyard was not really a backyard, but it did not disappoint. It was the beautiful Pacific Ocean, a private beach all to themselves. Gabriella and Taylor's balcony overlooked this pristine beach; the white sand, the inviting lounge chairs, and the brilliant, shimmering sea that went on for miles. The sun was already dipping low in the sky, casting a pinkish glow to the sky as Taylor and Gabriella shared a similar look- this place was _incredible_. Taylor shook her head, crossing back over the threshold into the bedroom. "Why didn't we befriend Sharpay sooner? My God. Can you imagine growing up in this place?"

"I know," Gabriella followed her, pushing her suitcase aside and flopping backwards onto her bed. "It's perfect."

Taylor followed suit, lying down on her own bed before asking, "You're going to fix things with Troy while we're here, right? Because I don't want you to be depressed on our vacation. We're in the most beautiful place I've ever seen and I want you to enjoy it too."

"See, this is why you're my best friend," Gabriella grinned and Taylor chuckled. "I'll try, Tay. I really will."

Taylor nodded. "That's all I can ask for, I guess."

* * *

About an hour later, Kelsi had finished unpacking her suitcase into the large dresser and closet and left her bedroom to find the closest bathroom. Unfortunately, Sharpay had never actually told her which rooms were bedrooms and which were bathrooms, so now, Kelsi was struggling. She knocked on one door and peered into it, noting that Taylor and Gabriella seemed to be having a conversation. The next room was Sharpay's, who didn't notice as Kelsi peered into the enormously pink room and then shut the door quickly again. She was just about to try the next room when a voice stopped her.

"Are you lost, Kelsi?"

Kelsi glanced up to see Ryan standing at the top of the stairs and blushed immensely. "A little bit. I was… I was just trying to find a b-bathroom."

"Well you won't find one in there. That's my room," Ryan laughed and then pointed a couple doors down which was, ironically, the room right next to her own. "Just in there."

"Oh, thanks," She smiled, glancing down and feeling foolish. "I feel like an idiot."

"Don't," Ryan grinned. "I got lost in this house plenty of times and I've lived here my whole life. Once, I ran away from my Mom because she was scolding me and hid in the second-story linen closet. I had never even seen that closet before and my Mom couldn't even find me. When she finally did, she forgot what she was going to scold me about because she was so worried she'd lost me."

Kelsi chuckled slightly. "I guess this big of a house has its perks, then."

"Yeah, it definitely does," He agreed. "Well I'll let you go to the bathroom. I just came upstairs to let everyone know that dinner's been served."

"Great. I'll see you there," Kelsi smiled. "Thanks."

"No problem," Ryan nodded and headed towards his sister's door. But before he knocked to enter, he paused and called out, "Hey, Kelsi?"

She turned around, her hand pausing on the round golden doorknob of the bathroom. "Yeah?"

"Do you think maybe sometime this week you'd like to go out with me? Maybe to get ice cream or to go to the Pier?" Ryan asked hopefully.

Kelsi grinned, her cheeks flushing even more. "I'd love too."

"Great," Ryan exclaimed happily. "It's a date, then."

"Yeah," Kelsi whispered to herself once she'd finally been able to use the bathroom. "A date."

Moments later, everyone appeared somewhat groggily around the Evans' dining room table. The dining room was surprisingly normal sized compared to every other room they'd seen in the house. The marble flooring was much more detailed which matched the adornment around the massive fireplace in the corner of the room. The table was long and had enough seating for twelve people; the glass reflected the beautiful golden chandelier and the vases of fresh tulips resting in the middle of the table. Once everyone had been introduced to both Vance and Charlotte Evans a second time- since the first was over six months ago- their dear butler Sebastian began to serve dinner.

"Tonight we have cheese tortellini with potatoes au gratin and cooked asparagus," He announced, setting a plate of just that in front of each of the members of the table. "Enjoy."

"Tortellini and potatoes au gratin?" Sharpay grinned and Vance nodded proudly.

"I told Sebastian that my princess was coming home today, so why not have two of her very favorite things?" Vance smiled, taking all the credit. "And now I know you're not a fan of asparagus, but…"

"It's okay, Daddy," Sharpay shook her head, placing a piece on her fork and eating it without complaint. "Nothing can ruin today."

"This is amazing," Zeke complimented. "So much better than anything I've ever had."

"Yeah and way better than Ernie Davis," Troy commented and they all agreed whole-heartedly.

"Yeah, the food at NYU isn't very good either," Ryan stated despite his sister's obvious scowl. "But we don't have dining halls, we have food court-type places. So we don't have to eat there. And it is New York, so most people just go get Chinese or pizza or something."

"Ugh, to be able to have that kind of freedom," Taylor remarked. "Must be nice."

"It really is," Ryan told her genuinely. "And we always go down to see a Broadway show or visit the Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty on the weekends. It gets boring in those dorms!"

"Yeah well… at Syracuse, you can…" Sharpay started and then finished lamely, "Go to the Carousel Mall."

Ryan smiled wryly. "Not quite the same thing, Shar."

"Well it is the second-biggest mall in the country, I'll have you know, next to the Mall of America," Sharpay informed him. "They're actually both owned by the same guy."

"I read that somewhere," Taylor said. "That's actually pretty cool, I think."

"Yeah, but not the same as going to Broadway," Kelsi swooned. "What have you seen so far?"

And as the two launched into a deep conversation about Broadway shows, with Sharpay interjecting every now and then with her commentary, the rest of the table was left to come up with their own conversational topic. This proved difficult, seeing as two of the occupants weren't speaking to each other, two were dating, two were married, and one was left unfortunately in the middle of it all. Needless to say, the rest of the dinner went as smoothly as it could've gone with that kind of tension in the air and then everyone bid goodnight, too exhausted to stay up any later and so jet lagged by the time zone confusion that the only thing that could solve it was sleep.

Maurice was clearing dinner plates and everyone was leaving the table, still carrying out the ends of their dinner table conversations. Troy hung back, examining the lavish living room as Gabriella exited with Taylor at her side. When Taylor caught sight of Troy in the room, she realized she was third wheel and headed up to her room. Gabriella glanced at Troy and then at the ground as he attempted to make conversation. "Nice place, huh?"

"Probably the biggest place I've ever seen," Gabriella agreed, still not meeting his eyes.

"Yeah," Troy nodded awkwardly. "Me too."

"Anyway," Gabriella said after a moment or two when neither one of them spoke. "I'm really tired, so… I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah… Yeah, goodnight." Troy looked disappointed, but let her go anyway.

"Goodnight," She half-smiled, placing a hand on his arm in passing as she ascended the stairs towards her bedroom.

Troy smiled after her. It wasn't much, but it was something.

* * *

The next morning, Sharpay and Ryan had planned on taking the group of friends around town to show them their favorite sites and then to Santa Monica pier for some carnival fun. Gabriella awoke that morning to the sound of the sea lapping at the shore and seagulls chirping over the glorious sunshine. She pushed back the covers and began to get dressed, noting that it was nearing ten a.m. and Taylor had already departed the bedroom, her bed made neatly. When Gabriella met the others, she noted Chad and Zeke were absent from the breakfast- most likely still asleep, Sharpay assumed- and she wasn't even seated for a moment before Sebastian placed a plate of whole wheat toast, scrambled eggs, ham, and breakfast potatoes before her.

She'd never eaten this well in her entire life.

After everyone was awake, fed, and ready to go, Ryan and Sharpay split the group up to take them around the town. Ryan insisted in taking all the guys, assuming they wouldn't care about what Sharpay would show the girls- places like the best hair salon, the best five-star restaurant, and the best place to get a mani-pedi- and he was right. So they arranged to meet on the Pier at two o'clock and the guys set off in Ryan's blue Camry while the girls set off in Sharpay's pink convertible.

It was nice to be able to see where Sharpay had grown up. She pointed out all the things they'd expected- the salon, the nail studio, Chez Toi, her favorite upscale restaurant. But she also pointed out her old high school, where her first high school boyfriend had taken her mini-golfing for their first date, and the old movie theater that had burned down just because someone left the popcorn machine on. She showed them the bookstore where she'd go to study for all her tests in school… and scope out cute, brainy boys. And of course, she showed them where she got half of her wardrobe- Pretty in Pink. But surprisingly, half of the proceeds they made went to breast cancer research and when Gabriella expressed her pride in her roommate, Sharpay nodded, saying, "I just like the clothes. The charity is an added bonus."

They met up with the guys at Santa Monica pier a bit later, which was absolutely amazing. Not only was it a fantastic boardwalk with shops and restaurants galore, but it was also an amusement park and an aquarium, all with a panoramic view of the ocean. "Isn't this place amazing?" Sharpay asked and everyone was powerless to disagree. "It's all free, so… Let's go!"

As they broke off into pairs and trios, Ryan hung back with his sister, an elated grin on his face. "I think Kelsi really likes me."

Sharpay chuckled. "I bring my friends home so they can have a perfect Californian getaway and you're thinking of hooking up with one of my friends."

"I'm not thinking of hooking up with her!" Ryan exclaimed, beginning to blush. "I've been thinking about her a lot lately, okay? Ever since we met in September. We have a lot in common, you know."

"Hmm, that is oddly true," Sharpay observed. "Well, she likes you too, if you're asking. She gets all oddly flustered when I mention you. It's kind of cute, I guess, but a little freaky. I mean, you're my brother, she's my friend-"

"Gabriella says you don't even like her half the time," Ryan rolled his eyes.

"Well, I wasn't too fond of her the other day. She yelled at me!"

"Oh no, she yelled at you? How did you ever recover?" Ryan asked sarcastically and Sharpay frowned at him. "Anyway, that's good. I like when people give you the upper hand, Shar. You're a force to be reckoned with and I like when people challenge that."

"Why?" She cocked her head to the side, shooting him an odd glance.

Ryan shrugged. "I don't like when you think you can get your way all the time. It's frustrating."

Sharpay smiled. "Good."

Chuckling, Ryan glanced over at the group by the milk bottle game, where Zeke was playing with Kelsi and Gabriella cheering him on. "So how's everything with Zeke?"

"Wait, I told you we're dating?" Sharpay asked and Ryan sighed.

"Do you not pay any attention when we talk?" Ryan questioned his sister who shrugged helplessly. "Yes you told me this. You were telling everyone. You asked me to put my roommate on the phone so you could tell him!"

"Oh," Sharpay glanced away embarrassedly. "I vaguely remember that. How is Tristan anyway? Still gay?"

"Of course he's still gay," Ryan scoffed. "You think that can just change?"

"No! Just asking how he was," Sharpay wondered. "Anyway, Zeke and I are doing just fine, thank you very much. And so are Chad and Taylor, although I don't quite get that pairing. I can see him have a crush on her, sure. But Taylor? I figured she'd aim higher."

"Hey," Ryan defended. "Chad seems like a nice guy!"

"Well he is, but he's a bit dense," Sharpay stated. "And aloof when it comes to… well, most things."

Ryan shook his head with a chuckle. "Well I notice you deliberately left out Troy and Gabriella. They hit a rough patch, I heard?"

"A bit of one, yeah," Sharpay nodded. "He kissed his ex-girlfriend in front of her at the basketball game this past weekend. Well, actually she kissed him, but whatever. That's what Gabriella saw so she's been fighting World War III over what to do now."

"But they're not speaking?"

"Not at the moment, no."

"Hmm," Ryan commented. "That sucks. It kind of reminds me of when we were nine and Mom and Dad went through their little rough patch. Remember? He was redesigning the country club so they could have their anniversary party there and was spending all that time at the club, so Mom thought he was having an affair."

"Oh yeah!" Sharpay laughed. "She freaked the hell out at him one night when he was late for dinner."

"So, of course, we got involved to set them straight," Ryan chuckled. "Man, we were menaces. Twin Terrors, I believe Sebastian used to call us. Oh! There was also that time when Maurice…"

But Sharpay had stopped listening. She stopped dead in the middle of the pier and turned towards Ryan with a large, evil grin. When Ryan next looked at her, he did a double take. "What? What did I say?"

"Ryan, I think it's time we meddled in other people's lives again," Sharpay grinned. "It's been too long."

"You're not talking about Troy and Gabriella, are you?" Ryan asked fearfully and when Sharpay nodded, he groaned. "Shar, I barely know them! I don't want to cause even more damage!"

But the scheming look on his sister's face was too good to resist. It was like they were nine again, plotting and planning ridiculous stunts for good and for evil. He gave in. "Well… what do you have in mind?"

Sharpay glanced at Gabriella across the way and then at Troy before looking back towards Ryan. "Relax, Ryan. I have a plan."


	16. Evans' Beach Mansion

**Morning all! It's so nice to actually be updating this story on a regular basis lol. But I can't say if that will stay, because there are four chapters left and I haven't written any of them hahaha. I'll try to get the next one finished tonight when I get back from work. I hope everyone had a very nice Independence Day yesterday (if you're in America, that is haha)! Mine was great; we had a barbecue, swam all day, and shot off fireworks. Good times, good times.**

**I do no own nor am I affiliated with Disney, High School Musical, its characters, Syracuse University, or Eminem and the song I used for this chapter. Please enjoy and please review!**

* * *

Bleeding Orange

Chapter Sixteen: Evans' Beach Mansion

…

"_Come inside, pick up your bags off the sidewalk  
Don't you hear sincerity in my voice when I talk?_"

~ _"__**Love the Way You Lie**__," Eminem ft. Rihanna_

…

"Gabriella! Wake up! We're going snorkeling!"

Gabriella opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was the glowing clock by her head, the time reading 6:45. She groaned and half-sat up, resting on her elbows. "Are you serious? I don't even wake up this early for _school_."

"Well I figured you'd want time to shower and eat breakfast. Plus we have to get down to the marina to pick out snorkeling equipment and get fitted for a wetsuit before the boat leaves at eight," Taylor informed her. "So let's get going!"

She left the room again and Gabriella instead flopped back down upon her pillows. She had no interest in being awake at this hour when she _had_ to do something; she certainly wasn't going to wake up now. She rolled over and had just fallen asleep when Taylor reappeared, this time carrying a bag which she hastily stuffed a towel into. When she noticed Gabriella was still lying in bed, she groaned. "Gabriella! Get your ass out of bed!"

"I'm not going," She murmured from inside her cavern of pillows and blankets.

Taylor paused. "What did you say?"

"I said," Gabriella turned so she was facing her. "I'm not going."

"Gabriella!" Taylor threw her hands exasperatedly into the air. "You've been moping around like a brat for the last three days! Either get your shit together with your boyfriend or move on, but please do one or the other because this isn't doing it for me! You're missing out on all the fun and completely wasting your spring break away."

Gabriella stared at her. "I don't care. Let me sleep."

Taylor sighed in frustration. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to have to do this, but I'm getting Sharpay."

At this point, Gabriella had been living with Sharpay for almost seven months, so honestly she wasn't even remotely scared of her. But when the blonde came storming into their room a few minutes later, she pretended to be. "Sharpay, listen-"

"No Montez, _you_ listen," She shouted authoritatively. "I am _not_ amused by your and Bolton's behavior on this vacation. So this is what you're going to do. You're going to get your ass out of bed, get dressed, march downstairs to Bolton's room and kiss and make up or I am never speaking to either of you again."

"Is that a promise?" Gabriella asked smarmily and Sharpay's eyes narrowed.

"Do it," Sharpay said icily. "_Now_."

But this time, Gabriella did as she was told, because honestly, even though she'd rather be asleep, she wouldn't want to stay home while the rest of the group went out and had a good time. Reluctantly, she left her bed, made it tidily, and dressed in a simple bathing suit and sundress, just about having time to grab a grapefruit off the counter before they departed. They got fitted for wetsuits and other snorkeling gear before clambering onto the boat and setting off to their snorkeling location. Gabriella was just slipping flippers on when Kelsi asked an insightful question.

"Excuse me," She caught the attention of the diving instructor. "There aren't sharks in this water, are there?"

The instructor laughed. "Doll, it's the Pacific Ocean. What do you think?"

This apparently worried everyone, but Sharpay shook her head. "We'll be fine, guys. Ryan and I have done this plenty of times with our friends. It's totally safe."

"Alright Sharpay, but if I lose any limb, you're paying for one of those cool bionic ones," Chad stated adamantly. "And if I die, I'm coming back to haunt you forever."

"Oh shut up, Chad," Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Taylor, control your boyfriend's behavior, please."

But Taylor was laughing and she shook her head. "No, I'm on his side, Shar. Sorry."

Thankfully, no one was grazed nor attacked by a shark, but instead, everyone enjoyed the remarkable views of the under-sea life. Coral of all colors, various types of fish, and Zeke even spotted a sting ray. When their snorkeling adventure had finished, they decided to get lunch and then spend the rest of the day at the beach by the Pier, the guys playing beach volleyball while the girls tanned openly by the water. It had been a perfect kind of day and they decided to finish it off with a dinner at Chez Toi.

Sharpay and Ryan had insisted upon sitting beside each other at dinner which everyone thought was pretty odd, but they eventually shrugged it off. But then, all throughout dinner, they would shoot each other secretive looks and bend towards each other to whisper something to one another, completely ignoring Chad's comments of "Should we call the police?" and "They know incest is illegal right?" Even stranger, upon leaving the restaurant, they did not seem to acknowledge each other, which meant that the twins were definitely up to something.

"Oh shit," Sharpay stated as they arrived at the house again. "Gabriella, could you grab my purse for me? I think I left it in the car."

"Sure," She sighed, turning around to go retrieve it.

"Hey, Troy," Ryan stopped him before he could follow the others up the path. "I left my key in the car and my parents aren't home. Sharpay'll flip if we can't get in the house. Would you mind grabbing it for me?"

Troy chuckled. "Of course not. I don't want Sharpay to throw a fit."

While the two doubled back to retrieve the items, the rest of the group went into the house where Sharpay and Ryan proceeded to let them in on the secret and then lock every single exterior entrance to the house. Gabriella discovered that Sharpay's purse was not in the car, nor was Ryan's house key, so they walked to the front door somewhat awkwardly together. But after two unsuccessful tries, they realized the door was locked. Troy turned to Gabriella and shrugged. "Maybe they went through the back porch because they thought I had the key. Let's try that door."

"Okay, sure." She agreed and they walked along the path towards the back of the house.

But those doors were locked too. After knocking for what seemed like a good five minutes, Sharpay and Ryan both appeared at the door. "Would you two like to come in?"

"Obviously," Troy stated in irritation.

"Have you two set aside your differences?" She asked again.

Troy and Gabriella shared a hesitant look. "Not really, no."

Sharpay then smiled a wry grin. "Then I'm afraid I can't help you."

She drew the curtains so Troy and Gabriella no longer viewed the sitting room and then they could hear she and Ryan walking away. Then there was silence. Gabriella turned toward Troy and asked, "She's not serious, is she?"

"Looks like it," He said, drawing a pattern in the dusty sand on the deck with his toe. "So _that's_ why they made us go to the bathroom before we got in the car. I thought they were just paranoid."

"Great," Gabriella frowned, walking off the porch and towards the beach, where the sun was beginning to dip low into the horizon. "I'm exhausted. The last thing I want is to be locked out here all night."

"With me," Troy finished for her. "Go on, say it."

"I wasn't going to say that," Gabriella defended herself, but Troy snorted.

"You've been avoiding me all week," He came to sit beside her on the sand that was still warm from the golden afternoon sun. "Don't deny it."

"I won't," She said. "But you've been avoiding me too."

"Yeah," He sighed. "I guess I have."

She looked out onto the water and sighed. "I'm sorry I'm being so ridiculous about this."

Troy shook his head. "You're not being _completely_ ridiculous. I don't blame you for being mad."

"Yeah, but I should've let you explain. We should've talked about this," Gabriella sighed. "It's just… You have to understand where I'm coming from. To walk over and see… that-"

"I know," He cut her off before she could go into specifics. "And you have every right to be mad. I understand. But… _You_ have to understand where _I'm_ coming from. It's not like I kissed her. She just came out of nowhere."

"I know," Her eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry."

Troy smiled softly. "I'm sorry too."

He reached out to her and the two melded into a hug, content to just exist beside each other and that was enough. He kissed her hair and she gripped him tightly, realizing only then how much she truly missed him. She knew that she had reacted perhaps a bit too strongly, but then again she hasn't had much experience in this field. When the moment was over, she pulled back, watching seagulls dip into and out of the water and the sun drop lower and lower into the sea. She chuckled softly and shook her head, wiping her eyes carefully. "I'm glad that's over. I was afraid we'd have some stupid fight like at the arena and we'd be yelling at each other."

Troy shook his head, chuckling too. "I don't have the energy for that. We were both stupid, let's just leave it at that."

She nodded complacently. "Yeah. Sounds like a plan."

But after a few moments of silence, it was clear that there was still unresolved tension. Gabriella had so many unanswered questions about Courtney and Troy could hardly bear his curiosity pertaining her mysterious father. They each knew how important this was; that they couldn't _truly_ make up until they didn't have any secrets between each , deciding to be gallant, Troy drew in a deep breath, still staring out into the sea, his fingers absentmindedly drawing in the sand. "You still want to know about Courtney?"

Gabriella nodded, glancing over fleetingly at him. "Of course… And you want to know about my Dad. I understand."

"I guess I'll go first…" Troy sighed. "Well, I met Courtney in Algebra when I was a freshman. I sat behind her so we would always talk whenever our teacher passed back papers or handed out tests. We never really hung out; I mean, I was always busy with basketball and she and her friends didn't really mix in with our crowd. But on the last day of school, I finally plucked up the courage to ask her for her number and we ended up hanging out a lot over the summer."

"We started out just friends," Troy explained. "But by the end of the summer, we somehow ended up dating. I don't even remember who asked who out. We dated for the remainder of high school; three years. Everything was working out perfectly normal. My friends- namely Chad- would make fun of us and her friends complained that she was always with me, but that wasn't true. We weren't those people who were infatuated with one another, you know? If we realized we were spending too much time together, we'd take a break and go hang out with friends. We had everything perfectly balanced."

"And you loved her." Gabriella concluded, a small smile on her face.

Troy nodded slowly. "Yeah… Yeah I did."

"Did you… have sex with her?" She asked and as soon as she did, regretted it. She blushed and looked away. "I'm sorry. You don't have to answer. That was… I shouldn't have…"

Troy chuckled. "No it's fine. Well… Yeah, I mean we had sex a few times… But anyway. The point is, senior year came and everyone was so stressed and freaking out. We had to get in those last SATs before college applications went out and we had to get jobs so we could pay for loans and things while we were there and then of course there was that resounding worry about whether we'd get into the colleges we wanted. Courtney and I applied to a few of the same schools, but not many, because we were planning on being our own people. In the end, I got into Syracuse and knew immediately that's where I wanted to go. Courtney, however, got into the University of Connecticut and decided to go there."

"Well I joked a lot about how my girlfriend would be going to our rival school and all this other stuff, but she never seemed to think it was very funny," Troy recalled. "At first I thought it was because she didn't want us to split up, so I suggested that she maybe try transferring into Syracuse after the first semester. But she told me she didn't have any interest in that. And I was really confused, because I just assumed that we'd try to make this work any way possible. Apparently, she had other things in mind."

"After graduation," Troy concluded. "My friend Jason threw this huge party that pretty much the entire school went to. Courtney pulled me aside and said we had to talk and I was glad, honestly, because she'd been really distant and kind of sad lately. So we went outside onto Jason's porch swing and she told me she wanted to break up. I was pretty shocked, because, again, I'd assumed we were going to stick together, so I told her that even though long distance relationships were difficult, we could probably make it work if we really wanted."

"'But that's the thing, Troy,'" Troy said bitterly, mocking Courtney's voice. "'I don't want to try.' That's exactly what she said to me. She told me she didn't want to be in a relationship in college; that she wanted to be free to hook up with whoever she wanted without feeling guilty about cheating. She said this could benefit both of us in the long run. I didn't know why she wanted this when just a few months ago, everything was perfectly fine and we planned on staying together… I don't know. It all makes me sound like a little girl, now that I hear it all, you know? It's usually the guys who want to be able to have free roam over the campus and the girls want the relationship, but…"

"I don't think it makes you sound like a girl at all," Gabriella told him truthfully. "I'm glad you're not like those guys who pride themselves in getting drunk and hooking up with random girls just to say they did it. I think that's what drew me to you, honestly. Your maturity."

Troy smiled. "Thanks. I guess it just comes with growing up with two older sisters, because I've seen what happens to them when guys treated them that way and I never wanted to be that guy. But anyway, I saw Courtney over Christmas break at Jason's New Year party and she and I had some stupid argument over what we both wanted. She told me I was being ridiculous and I told her she was being irrational and that if she ever found the old Courtney, to have her call me."

"That's why she showed up at the game," Gabriella realized and Troy nodded.

"Not that it makes it okay, but she decided to revert back to her old ways for just a second so she could try to screw with my life," Troy frowned. "I wish you hadn't seen it. I was going to tell you; it's not like I'd hide it from you. But the way you found out was worse than what had actually happened and I'm sorry, Gabriella. I'm really, really sorry."

"I know you are," She smiled, reaching over and intertwining his fingers with her own. "I know you are and I know that it's not your fault. I'm sorry I said that you weren't over Courtney. Chad told me a little about her and how you still weren't over her and then I saw you two… I overreacted."

"No, you didn't, actually," Troy assured her. "If I were you, I probably would've said the same thing."

"Well Courtney sounds like a complete basket case, but I, for one, am glad that you two broke up, because then you and I wouldn't have been together," Gabriella smiled and Troy chuckled.

"Well, that's true!" He agreed and when the moment died down, asked, "So… Your Dad?"

Gabriella's smile faltered and she exhaled heavily. "Yeah. My Dad. Well… My parents… They went to college together and they dated for a few years afterwards before my Mom found out she was pregnant. Well neither of them really planned on having kids, but they accepted it and got married before she started showing. To this day, I don't think my relatives even know that I was conceived out of wedlock, but it's not that hard to figure out. Do the math; I was born only six months after my parents' wedding."

"But anyway, they embraced parenthood, I guess, as best they could, and I had a really fun childhood," She grinned in remembrance. "I grew up in Saratoga, so there was always something to do. There was a Coldstone Creamery on every corner, beading stores, pottery painting places, the carousel in Congress Park… Every summer, my Mom would take me to the craft fairs and carnivals at Congress Park and my Dad would take me to the track and we'd bet on horses. It was… It was really fun."

"My Dad was in international business, so he'd travel a lot," Gabriella explained. "Which left my Mom and I alone for at least two months out of the year, if you added all the time consecutively. But we didn't mind, really, I mean we knew he was doing his job. So… no big deal, really."

She cleared her throat. "And then… Well, last January, I was in school and my mother was at work when we got the call. It was a really, _really_ cold day and we hadn't had school for a couple of days because the entire city was covered in ice. We lost power, we had no heat… It was pretty awful. But we had just recovered from that and had gone back to school and work and everything. The roads and trees and buildings were still covered in ice, though. Construction workers were actually chipping the ice off of the sidewalk with a shovel when we went into school that day."

"During my last period of the day, I was called out of school and into the principal's office, where my Mom was waiting for me," Gabriella looked away, her eyes once again filling with tears. "She had been crying and she told me that she was taking me out of school because we… we had some place to be. When we were in the car she told me that my father had been hit by a truck that day and… well, he didn't survive."

"Oh Gabriella," Troy frowned, wrapping his arms around her comfortingly. "I'm so sorry."

"He had been crossing the street," She continued on, determined to get this story out. "And slipped on a patch of ice. He broke his tailbone, which was why it was so hard for him to get back up… And when he did, the truck driver didn't see him and… Well, yeah. You can figure it out from here."

"It was the hardest thing I'd ever had to go through," Gabriella said, inhaling and exhaling just a touch unevenly. "I never expected him to just be gone like that, especially not now, when there was so much going on. I turned eighteen a few weeks later but it didn't _feel_ the same; I wasn't in the mood for partying. I got my college acceptances but I didn't care about them anymore. And when I finally left for college, I felt like I shouldn't have been; like I was betraying my Mom and I should just stay home and grieve because it hadn't even been a year since his death."

"It turns out going away was the best thing I could've done for myself, because it finally took my mind off of his death," Gabriella explained. "At Syracuse, I wasn't always thinking about him or worrying if my Mom was okay. That blissful obliviousness was much appreciated after months of sadness but… When I went home for Thanksgiving, we learned the portion of my father's life that I would've never expected."

"It was Thanksgiving morning and we had woken up early because we had a few things left to make before we went to my aunt's house, like we always did," Gabriella sighed. "It was tradition and we were a little upset because it was the first major holiday without my Dad around, but we weren't going to let that stop us from enjoying ourselves. So we made a few pies, some homemade cranberry sauce, and spinach and green beans before we headed over."

"But just before we stepped out of the door, the phone rang and my mother went to pick it up. There was some woman on the other line and she was asking for my father," She cleared her throat a little, begging her emotions to just let her finish. "We asked her who she was and she was really rude about insisting on who my mother was first. So she told this woman that she was his wife, and the woman goes, 'He's _married?_' Well after that it was pretty obvious who this woman was, so my mother answered, very straight-faced, 'No. He's dead.'"

"We haven't heard from her since and we still don't know what her name is or how long my father had been seeing her," Gabriella concluded. "My Mom says that this doesn't make my father a bad person and that I shouldn't see him in that light. But I don't understand how she can be so understanding about all of this. This was her _husband_ and he was cheating on her! I can't just overlook that. I had just learned that my father, of all people, had been lying to me my entire life. Your father is supposed to be the only guy a girl can depend on and I didn't even have that."

"So, there you go," She said a moment later with a sigh. "I'm a little reluctant to trust people after everything everyone's done to me."

"I don't blame you for a second," Troy remarked quietly. "I'm so sorry. That's… That's really shitty."

Gabriella laughed despite the situation and shook her head. "I don't want you to be sorry. I mean, I didn't tell you this so you'd feel sorry for me. I just… figured you should know."

"No, I'm glad you told me," Troy nodded, squeezing the hand he was still holding. "No more secrets between us, okay?"

She smiled softly. "No more secrets."

The sun was barely existent now, so much so that it was only a sliver above the horizon as the night sky took reign again. The moon gleamed brightly from the purple sky above; the stars were glittering and dancing in its light. A few seagulls chirped here and there and the sound of the lapping sea could be heard for miles but otherwise, all was quiet. There was something about the moment, some romantic tone of the salty sea air mixed with the starry sky, that made the two turn to look at each other and, without another word, fall into a passionate embrace. A kiss that made up for lost time, a kiss that poured out all their true feelings, a kiss like none other they had shared before.

"I love you," He breathed when they pulled away. "I should've told you this a while back. I was going to tell you that day we left for New York, but as usual something got in our way."

"Or someone," Gabriella said cheekily. "By the name of Sharpay."

"Yeah, typical," Troy laughed and Gabriella grinned. "But it doesn't matter, okay? I do love you. I don't care what anyone says or does anymore."

"Me either," She announced definitely. "I love you too and I'm done listening to other people's crap. From now on, nothing can touch us."

Troy grinned, capturing her lips to confirm it. "Deal."

* * *

It was midway through breakfast the next morning before they realized it.

"Shar!" Ryan exclaimed loudly and the entire breakfast table turned to look at him. "We left them out there all night!"

But Sharpay didn't seem to worry or even care that Troy and Gabriella had never been allowed entrance to their home the prior evening. She shrugged, eating another forkful of blueberry pancakes. "I'm sure they're fine."

"But we don't even know if they solved their differences," Kelsi pointed out, obviously concerned.

"And what if they were like… kidnapped? Or raped, or something?" Taylor panicked but Sharpay rolled her eyes.

"It's a private beach!" She shouted. "I'm sure they're perfectly okay. But if it makes you feel better…"

She pushed her chair back away from the dining room table and walked into the sitting room, yanking back the curtains and unlocked the door. Stepping out into the morning sunshine, she glanced up and down the porch and then out onto the beach before she found them. Troy and Gabriella were cuddled together on top of a beach blanket just a few feet away from the shoreline. They were sound asleep, but even Sharpay could tell that they were much happier than they had been the past week. She turned back to the open doors she had just gone through and shouted, "They're alright! Alive and, it seems, back together."

Within moments, the rest of the occupants of the house joined her on the porch and grinned in happiness, others sighing in relief that the tension would finally be gone from the house. Chad chuckled. "Well. It's about time."

"Aw, I knew they could fix things." Kelsi smiled sweetly.

"Good! No more moping roommate," Taylor joked as they turned to go back into the kitchen to finish their breakfast.

"Who's going to wake them up?" Zeke asked. "It's almost ten o'clock."

"I'm on it," Sharpay grinned wickedly as she stepped off the deck. Toying with Troy and Gabriella's relationship was one of her favorite pastimes and now that they were settled with one another again, her tricks of the trade were back to normal, too. She grabbed a plastic bucket off the deck, one she hadn't used since she was a child, and bent low in the water to fill it with chilly ocean water. Poising the bucket above their bodies, she was just about to empty its contents when Troy's sleepy voice came to her.

"Drop that bucket, Evans, and I _will_ kill you."

Gabriella giggled sleepily and the two opened their eyes, squinting in the bright sunlight as Sharpay frowned and chucked the water over her shoulder, back into the ocean. "You guys aren't any fun."

"Says the girl who refuses to actually get _in_ the water at the beach," Troy retorted as he and Gabriella pulled themselves to a sitting position.

Sharpay narrowed her eyes at him. "And let the salt water eat away at my designer bathing suits? I think not."

"But lying out in the sun where the color can fade from your bathing suits is okay?" Gabriella asked and Sharpay scoffed.

"Whatever! You two don't understand," She shook her head. "Anyway, Sebastian made blueberry pancakes today. Come eat and get dressed- actually, eat, _shower_, and get dressed- because we're going parasailing today. Hurry up!"

"Parasailing?" Gabriella questioned, glancing at Troy as Sharpay skipped away.

Troy laughed, standing and offering her his hand to help her up. "The excitement never ends, does it?"

The eating and showering took place and once everyone was finally ready for the day, they headed down to the marina once more for their parasailing adventure. They paired off couple-wise and it was decided that Sharpay and Zeke would go up first, followed by Taylor and Chad, then Troy and Gabriella, and finally Ryan and Kelsi. When it was finally their turn, Troy and Gabriella stepped into the harnesses, got hooked to the parachute and were instructed to stand on the back of the boat. Moments later they were hoisted four hundred feet into the air, the boat having the appearance of a tiny little toy boat, their friends just little dots.

Gabriella looked around, gripping her harness tightly. "This is the most amazing thing I've ever done. Look! You can see for miles!"

"I know. The view from up here is incredible," Troy agreed. "And it really isn't as scary as everyone says it is. It's actually kind of… peaceful."

She nodded. "Yeah, I was expecting it to be this fast-paced, intense ride, but we're actually just kind of… floating. It's awesome!"

"I can't believe tomorrow's our last day here," Troy remarked. "This week went by so fast."

"It did, considering we barely spoke to each other for half of it," Gabriella shook her head. "But I had a good time. It was really fun, regardless."

"Yeah," Troy grinned. "I agree."

They continued to converse amicably as the boat gave a tug and glided the parachute along the bright blue sky. And despite everything, despite the tension and the repressed feelings they had that were finally in the open, this had still been the best spring break of Gabriella's entire life.


End file.
